Something
by mamaXunicorn
Summary: He didn't remember anything...but he remembered her. Spoilers for 1x03
1. Remembering

He had no idea who he was.

He had no idea where he was.

He had no idea what was going on.

His world was a mess of confusion, darkness and pain. He felt helpless as doctors and nurses stuck him in a hospital bed and started to poke and prod at him. But he sat there and took it because something told him he should.

He had no idea who she was.

This blonde woman calling him by name, 'David'.

He didn't remember his name.

But something told him it wasn't David.

She claimed to be his wife.

He didn't remember having a wife.

He didn't remember anything.

She looked happy as she held his hand and smiled at him.

He forced a smile in return though he wasn't sure why. It seemed like the thing to do. Give this woman some hope.

Though he wanted hope of his own.

Something more than just a name that didn't sound like his name and a wife who he couldn't remember.

She squeezed his hand and told him that everything would be alright. That they were together again and they'd find a way to make it through.

He nodded dumbly.

He wished he could remember.

And then she was hugging him.

His body tensed. An unusual reaction that he contributed to his memory loss. Though he couldn't help but feel like he should be feeling something if this was his wife. His arms surrounded her lightly, growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

And then...

He lifted his gaze and spotted her.

Standing just outside his room, she stood, staring back at him with an expression that set his heart racing.

The woman who had saved his life.

He didn't remember anything...but he remembered her.

The touch of her hand, so much different than the touch of the blonde in his arms;

The sound of her voice, soothing, musical, like a lullabye he'd heard long ago;

"_You saved me." "It seemed like the honorable thing to do."_

The smile on her face, her eyes sparkling in delight as she hovered over him.

The feel of her lips against his, familiar and comforting.

He kept a steady gaze on her, unwilling to part from the woman who'd made him feel at peace since he first woke up.

He didn't know who he was.

He didn't know who she was.

But he remembered her.

And something told him he should probably find out why.


	2. Charming

_**A/n: I would like to thank everybody so much for their kinds reviews! I am loving writing for Once Upon A Time and for CharmingxSnow. I hope you enjoy this next installment! **_

* * *

><p>The doctors told him they wanted to keep an eye on him just incase he relapsed back into a coma.<p>

He watched and waited for her everyday.

When he woke up after his first night there, she was there tending to the other patients just outside his room.

She looked over at him just once and almost immediately their eyes locked. His lips twitched in an automatic smile and even through the glass window and the distance between them he saw a light blush coat her cheeks and she bit her lip, glancing away, fingering what he assumed was a ring on her finger.

He didn't understand the sudden plummet his heart made at the thought that the ring belonged to a man.

He had a wife, didn't he?

He was reminded of that every day when she'd come into his room and spend hours with him, trying to coax him into remembering anything, ruining the perfect illusion he'd created with his savior.

She would disappear after that and he was beginning to wonder if he just imagined her. Even after Catherine left him for the night, he'd spend hours into the night waiting for her to appear again but she wouldn't...not until morning.

He dreamt about her.

Whenever he closed his eyes, she was there. Except she wasn't. It was her face, her smile, her shining eyes but her hair wasn't cut short, nor did she wear those adorable sweaters. She looked like...well, like something out of a fairy-tale. And accompanying her face, was her voice; her voice whispering one single word:

"_Charming." _

As the days passed, it was the same old song. He'd wake up and she'd be there. He'd watch her until she looked his way, he'd smile, she'd smile and fiddle with her ring and she'd be on his mind for the rest of the day.

His condition, whatever his condition was, was improving slowly, the doctors said, and he should try to walk around. He silently hoped she'd come in and offer to help him, but she never did and he did most of his walking with Catherine.

But he was slowly building his courage to get out of bed while Catherine wasn't there and walk up to his mystery woman and ask who she was. All the nurses said she was just a volunteer but she had to be more than that.

One night he'd decided that the next morning when he saw her, he wouldn't just sit there and smile at her, he'd go to her.

The next morning however the thing that stopped him was her companion. There was a young, blonde woman with her and they were standing close to one another, already watching him and talking.

Her eyes widened when she noticed he was awake and snapped her attention to one of the patients. The blonde lingered on him for a moment longer before walking to the other side of the bed, blocking his view from his savior.

They left soon after and he didn't see her again for the rest of the day.

He anticipated his dream that night, wondering what she'd do, but that night he didn't dream about her. He dreamt about darkness, he saw another face he recognized but couldn't place, and a baby.

A baby in a wardrobe.

When he woke up the next morning he could have sworn he still heard that baby crying. He felt the need to protect that baby, even though, from the dream, it seemed like the wardrobe was protecting her.

He asked Catherine when she visited that day if they had any children. She only smiled coyly and told him, "not yet."

He told her about his dream, though he didn't dare tell her about the other dreams, how could he possibly tell his wife that he dreamt of another woman constantly?

Catherine insisted he was just stressed because of his amnesia and pain and requested the nurses to increase his pain medication. The effects lulled him off to sleep with Catherine holding his hand and assuring him that everything would be alright.

He didn't remember a dream from that medically induced sleep but when he woke up he found himself staring into the eyes of a young boy.

He blinked at him, wondering if he was still asleep for he had never seen this boy before.

"Hello." He suddenly spoke up cheerily. "I'm Henry."

He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, hesitating a moment before responding in kind, "I'm uh- David."

The boy's eyes were smug as he shook his head. "No you're not."

He opened his mouth to speak but no words escaped him.

The boy only smiled and twisted in his chair to grab a large book off the table behind him.

He watched the boy with wonder and curiosity. He certainly was a strange child, coming into his room and announcing that he wasn't who everyone else told him he was.

And that was exactly why Henry intrigued him and why he wanted the boy to stay.

Henry flipped through the large book, a small little smile on his face.

He licked his lips and asked the boy, "You like storybooks?"

"This one." Answered Henry with a secret smile.

His cryptic, short responses might have bothered anyone else, but they only provoked his curiosity. His mind was a jumble of confusion, darkness and _her_ and something told him that this boy knew something he did not.

"What's it about?"

Henry seemed delighted by his sudden question, given the grin that split across his face and he jumped off the chair and onto the bed next to him.

"It's about a prince and his true love, Snow White."

"Snow White." The name played off his lips in a whispered song. A familiar name.

"The Prince's name was James." Henry continued, beaming as he stared directly into his eyes, "But Snow White loved to call him Charming."

"_Charming!" _

His breath caught in his chest as her voice echoed in his head. He saw a flash of her smile, her eyes shining in delight as a laugh bubbled out of her lips.

He was snapped back to reality when he felt a small hand on his knee. He saw Henry staring back at him, anticipation and excitement in his soft brown eyes.

His heart was beating wildly as he snuck a look down at the book in Henry's arms, and then back up to the boy's face and he swallowed.

"Who am I?"

Henry giggled and his grin widened but he remained silent. His eyes flickered to the right and he suddenly hopped off the bed, clutching the book tight to his chest.

He followed the boy's gaze to see the blonde woman from the day before, waiting with her arms crossed just outside the door, presumedly for Henry.

"Goodbye!" Henry waved to him, the grin still planted on his face, before he pulled the door open and ran straight for the blonde.

She asked him something and then took the book from him and slipped her arm around his shoulders. She turned a look over her shoulder and met his eyes through the glass.

Just as with his savior, this woman provided him with a sense of familiarity and comfort.

She was a complete stranger and she made him feel more at ease with a single look than Catherine ever had with any of her touches.

She pressed Henry into her side and the two of them walked off together and he wondered if he'd see them again.

There was something strange going on and it was more than just his amnesia.

And Henry knew what it was.

Henry knew who _he_ was.

His name wasn't David.

He knew his savior.

He knew the blonde.

There was a baby. _His __baby?_

And there was that single word that haunted his every thought and dream;

_Charming. _


	3. Emma

**_Thank you all so much for all your reviews! I must give credit where credit is due to _**RT4ever**_ for giving me the inspiration for this chapter! So thank you and I hope you all enjoy! _**

* * *

><p>He didn't dream of her that night.<p>

Instead he dreamt of a girl.

A young, blonde girl, dressed in a white dress and dancing and twirling his arms, a pretty smile on her face and sweet laughter piercing the air. And then darkness had slowly descended around them and she was swept away into the blackness and he was left alone screaming her name. He woke up with the same name still racing through his mind.

"_Emma!_"

As the days passed, more and more questions plagued his mind.

Who was the woman who had saved his life?

Why did he keep dreaming about her?

Who was the baby in the wardrobe?

Who was Henry?

Who was Emma?

And most important of all, who was he?

The doctors told him he might never recover from his amnesia (at which point, Catherine held his hand tightly and tried ti suppress her tears) and he wondered if all amnesia victims not only not knew who they were but felt like whoever people were telling them they were was a lie.

Catherine would sit by him and recount stories of their time together in hopes that he would remember anything.

He never did.

But his dreams only got stronger and more vivid with each passing night and they always involved the same three people, the woman, the baby or the little girl. And occasionally there was another face, a face that he now identified as the mayor as she'd come to check up on him every so often. Except, just as his mystery woman did, she dressed in fairy-tale esque clothing...she dressed like a witch.

He knew it had to be just a dream but there was something about the mayor that made her seem indeed witchy. She was always friendly in his presence and Catherine told him that she was the one who found her and brought her back to him. But there was a mischievous glint in her eye and he could almost sense the darkness around her.

Unlike his mystery woman who seemed to light up the entire room whenever she walked into it.

He hadn't seen her in a couple of days and it surprised him how much he was disappointed by that. After the talk he had with Henry he felt even more inclined to talk to her but she was no where to be seen.

There was no sight of her, the blonde or Henry for days and he was once again brought back to the thought that he had just imagined all of them and his amnesia was just one symptom of a more serious neurological problem.

But then one glorious day, she showed up again, a smile on her face as she tended to her usual patients.

Before he could fully lose his nerve, he rose from his bed and headed for the door. Thankfully, after the first few days of his stay, the hospital provided him with actual clothing instead of a scratchy hospital gown.

Dressed in grey sweat pants and a white T-shirt, he left his own personal confinement of a room and approached her.

She didn't notice him until she left one bed and started to move towards another. She paused in the middle of the hallway, her eyes wide and innocent, her hands folded in front of her as she fiddled with the ring on her finger.

The closer he got, the more the smile grew on his face and the closer he got, the faster his heart beat.

He stopped just in front of her, the distance between them closer than any two strangers should be.

He wasn't aware that everyone (who was awake) had their eyes upon them. He wasn't aware that he stopped breathing. He wasn't aware that there even was anything else around them.

He just saw her.

Staring into her eyes he found himself not only lost in her but also being transported to the realm of his dreams. Where she was a thief - but also a princess. Where she was sassy - but also the sweetest creature to walk to Earth. Where she was the only thing that mattered.

He saw her lips moving before he heard her and as reality finally hit him he caught the last part of her question: "- something?"

He inhaled sharply, finally realizing that he was indeed holding his breath and her eyebrows shot up in concern. He cleared his throat and found his voice, "I-I'm sorry?"

She smiled sweetly, "I was just wondering if you needed something?"

"Yes, yes." He nodded and with a soft smile, continued, "I just wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"Oh." The softest of blushes coated her cheeks and she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Well, you were dying I couldn't just let you-" She trailed off, her voice wavering as she stared into his eyes and his heart leapt at the thought that maybe he affected her just as much as she did him. Then she bit down on her lip, her blush darkened and she spoke softly, "You're welcome."

His smile grew until there was a happy twinkle in his eyes and the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen spread across hers.

"What's your name?" He asked.

A voice inside his head whispered _Snow__White_ before she answered, "Mary...I'm Mary."

He ignored the voice in his head but something persuaded him to capture her hand in his and raise it to his lips in a delicate kiss. Her pink lips parted and the tiniest of gasps escaped her. He slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers and they were once again caught in each other and swept away.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mary." He was surprised at how warm and soft his voice was. He knew in the last several days that he'd been with Catherine he'd never heard his tone reach that level.

"_Aren't you a real Prince Charming?" _

He suddenly dropped her hand at her voice and for a second actually thought that she'd spoken aloud until he remembered that was also something out of his dreams.

She was staring at him again, with that wide eyed wonder that completely took his breath away. Before she could notice the troubling, confusing thoughts that plagued his mind, he smiled again just to keep her smiling.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, David is it?"

_I don't know..._

He shrugged. "That's what they tell me."

Her smile faltered and his heart dropped. How could one woman that he hardly knew make him feel so many things all at once?

"You still don't remember anything?"

His head shook. "Afraid not."

"That's terrible." She whispered, a frown firmly planted on her lips.

He hated seeing that frown.

"It could be worse." He insisted quietly.

She opened her mouth to reply when they were startled by the sound of running footsteps and a call of, "Henry!"

Mary turned around and he already felt the connection they'd established slipping away. He spotted Henry, carrying his book in his arms rushing around the corner and then he suddenly stopped short, his eyes widening at seeing him and Mary so close together.

A grin split across his face and he clutched at his book tighter. Just a few paces behind him was the blonde who seemed just as shocked to see him there.

He only ever saw her at a distance and even then he'd felt a connection towards her and now, finally being in her presence, it was stronger than ever. And what surprised him most of all that the familiarity he felt towards her was even stronger than what he felt towards Mary yet it was different somehow.

"Oh." A small smile tugged at her lips and she walked over to stand next to Henry, slipping a hand on his shoulder. "Hello..." She cast a look over at Mary, her brow raising. "Are we interrupting anything?"

"No!" Mary was quick to answer and he caught her eye and a blush spread across her cheeks. "I-I mean we were...just talking." She turned so she was facing all three of them.

"Yes." He nodded curtly. "Just talking."

"Right." The blonde smiled coyly, sharing another look with Mary, laughed to herself and then stepped forward. "It's nice to finally meet you, my name's-"

"Emma."

Three pairs of eyes were suddenly on him. Two filled with shock and confusion, the other filled with hope and awe.

Truth be told he didn't even realize it had slipped out of his mouth until everyone's eyes were upon him. Ever since she entered the room he had been trying to figure out why he felt a connection to her and then just as she was introducing herself he remembered his dream and the beautiful blonde little girl whose name was Emma.

Looking into her eyes now he could see somehow that little girl in his dream was the same Emma.

"We haven't met before, have we?" Emma wondered.

His eyes widened and his throat tightened. He certainly couldn't tell her that he dreamed of her...

He found his eyes flickering to Henry who was now grinning from ear to ear and he gave a little nod. He nodded in return and swallowed thickly and returned his gaze to Emma.

"Henry mentioned you."

Realization flickered across her face and she smiled knowingly as she glanced down at the boy. "Oh he did, did he?"

"You've met?" His attention was brought back to Mary at her soft, inquisitive voice.

"Yes." He confirmed. "He was in my room just a couple days ago."

He noticed that Mary then cast a look at Henry, silently communicating with her eyes. Henry's eyes glinted and he shifted the book in his arms. Mary sighed quietly and turned to face him. "I'm sorry if he disturbed you."

He briefly wondered what that exchange was all about. He knew it had something to do with the book. Henry clutched to that book like it was his lifeline and Mary seemed a little wary of it. It probably wasn't sane of him to trust a ten year old boy over an adult but that boy's smile told him something. That book was important, a lot more important than just a little boys favorite fairy tale.

"He was no trouble." He assured her, smiling at Henry. "I did rather enjoy his company."

Taking that as some sort of unspoken invitation, Henry escaped out of Emma's light grasp and ran to his side.

"Can we talk?" Henry asked him.

"Henry!" Emma hissed quietly.

"No, that's alright." He laughed and slipped his own hand over Henry's shoulder and then motioned towards his room. "Come on, kid."

Henry's reaction to the simple phrase surprised him. It was as if he told the kid he just won all the candy in the world. Henry grabbed his hand and pulled him towards his room. He cast a look over his shoulder at the confused women before Henry completely pulled him into the privacy of his secluded room.

"That book." He focused his gaze upon the large, brown book. "It's not just a story, is it?"

"Nope!" Henry answered happily and ran over to sprawl out the book on top of his bed and he followed behind him to look over Henry's shoulder.

"My life, the life that I can't remember, it has to do with this book, doesn't it?"

Henry nodded excitedly and turned to look over at him with a grin. "You know Emma."

"I-I know I know her, I just can't remember how or why. Who is she?"

Henry smirked and started to flip through pages of his book until he came towards the end where the picture of a baby lay printed on its pages.

He stepped closer, his heart both pounding and clenching in his chest at the sight of the baby. It was the same baby he'd seen in his dreams, the one in the wardrobe.

He suddenly found his hand upon the page, his fingertips brushing across the baby's face. "Emma..." The name left his lips again before he even realized it and as soon as his brain caught up with him he snapped his gaze to Henry, who was smiling at him knowingly.

"This is Emma?" He spoke breathlessly, his eyes slowly descending upon the book again.

Henry nodded and inched closer to him. "Do you believe me?"

"I have to." He answered quietly, keeping his gaze focused on the beautiful child. "It's the only answers I have to who I am." He finally stole a glance at Henry, the boy's eyes filled with hope. "It's the only answers that seem right." He removed his hand from the book and turned to face Henry completely, lowering himself down so he was at eye level with him.

"You told me you knew my name wasn't David."

Henry nodded.

"Do you know what my real name is?"

Henry nodded again, a smile forming at his lips.

"And it says so in this book?"

"Your whole life is this book." Henry confirmed.

He slowly rose to his feet and took the book in his hands, sat on top of the bed and placed the book on his lap. He flipped from the last page to the first and scanned the words, his lips twitching at the familiar opening phrase, _"__Once __Upon __a __Time...__" _

"Would you mind if I held onto this?"

"Of course not!" Henry beamed, running over stand in front of him, placing his small hands over the book. He met Henry's eyes and was a bit taken aback by the sudden seriousness in his stare. "But you cannot let my mother see it. And I don't mean Emma."

He nodded and then started once he realized Henry's words. "Emma is your mother?"

The smile returned to Henry's face. "My real mother, yes."

He cast his gaze out through the glass to where Emma and Mary stood watching them, huddled close together and talking.

All at once he saw the baby, the small girl and the woman standing outside flash through his mind. They were all the same Emma and they were somehow connected to him.

"You can't let the mayor see it." Henry explained, breaking his train of thought away from Emma and refocusing his attention on the boy. "She doesn't like that I have it and has tried to take it from me. But its important that we have it...its the only thing we have."

"We?"

"Yes." Henry nodded and gripped the book lightly in his hands. "Read it, you'll understand."

His mind raced with all of this new information and he wondered how a fairy tale book could possibly relate to his life but he hoped that it would give him the answers he sought after.

A small, hopeful smile tugged at his lips and he covered Henry's smaller hands with his larger and met the boy's eyes straight on.

"Thank you, Henry."


	4. Reality

_**A/N: I wanted to get this chapter up before the episode aired. Its the longest chapter yet and something I'm sure you've all been waiting for. I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>He hid the book under his pillow until he was sure Catherine was gone. She stayed until the last possible minute that visiting hours permitted much to his dismay.<p>

He found that the more he found out about Mary, Emma, and Henry the less he liked Catherine. And it wasn't that she wasn't a nice person, it was that he was almost one hundred percent certain that she was not his wife and he could not feel connected to her no matter how hard he tried.

She kissed his forehead in a goodnight and told him that she loved him. He forced a tight smile in return but said nothing. He did not love her, how could he? And he would not lie to her.

He waited almost fifteen minutes after she left before he pulled out the book.

He read it from cover to cover, multiple times. He remembered hearing some of the story in Mary's voice.

He read it so many times he almost had it memorized. There was something extremely familiar about all of it but just like with Mary and Emma, he couldn't quite place why.

He read it until his eyes burned with exhaustion.

He read it dead into the night when the rest of the hospital had gone to sleep.

He read it to study every last detail.

_Prince Charming, Snow White, the evil queen, the curse, Rumplestiltskin, Emma and the prophecy. _

Henry told him that his life was that book but as familiar as it all was, he simply could not _remember_ it.

The name _James_ popped out at him and he realized that must have been his name. James certainly did sound more right than David ever did.

He read it until he could no longer stay awake and he fell asleep with the book clutched to his chest.

~X~

"_I don't want to do this." She announced suddenly, catching his attention. _

"_It has to be you." He insisted softly, slowly turning to face her. _

"_I'm not leaving you!" She protested, rushing towards him quickly, her voice quivering with emotion and fear. _

_He took a few quick steps towards her and captured her in his arms, his forehead coming to rest near hers. "It's the only way. You'll go in there and you'll be safe from the curse." _

_Her__arms__slid__around__his__neck,__holding__onto__him__frantically__as__her__eyes__bored__into__his.__ "__He__said__it__would__be__on__her_twenty eighth _birthday.__" _

"_What's twenty eight years when you have eternal love, hm?" He countered, desperate to calm his panic stricken wife. "I have faith, you will save me as I did you." _

_She cast him a watery smile and cupping his cheek in her hand, brought him in for a passionate, loving kiss. Her arms had just surrounded his neck to bring him in closer when she pulled away suddenly with a gasp. _

"_What is it?" He asked, alarmed. _

_Her hands flew to her swollen abdomen, "The baby..." She winced and gasped in pain, holding onto him for support and his heart leapt in a panic. "She's coming." She met his eyes, her eyes hopeless and worried. _

_He tried not to show the fear in his own eyes but he feared that he was extremely transparent. _

_She gasped and cried out, gripping onto his shirt tightly. "James..." She whimpered before burying her face in his chest. _

_If there had been no prior signs of the graveness of the situation at hand, that would have been it. There were very few occasions that she ever called him James. _

"_What are we going to do?" He felt her tears soaking his shirt and his arms surrounded her as he dropped a fierce kiss to her forehead. _

"_Everything is going to be fine, love." It was an empty promise and he knew that. He could hear the watchmen ringing the warning bell, he could feel the darkness approaching them quickly. _

_Clenching his jaw and fighting back his own tears, he decided to be the brave Prince he was and support his wife in her time of dire need. _

_He valiantly scooped her up into his arms and carried her the short distance to the bed. He laid her down gently and she cried out, her hand flying to her abdomen, her cries of pain morphing then into hopeless whimpers. _

_He could already see the sweat beginning on her forehead, tears streaking down her face as she reached out and grabbed his hand. "She can't be coming now, James. She can't." _

_He kneeled beside the bed and brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing it with urgency. "She's coming, Snow. We've got to embrace that and work with her. Fighting her will only cause both you and her more harm." _

_She shook her head, a mournful whine escaping her lips, not out of protest but out of defeat. He kissed her knuckles once more before leaning up to kiss her forehead. "I'm going to get the doctor." _

_She held onto him for a moment longer and then reluctantly let him go. _

_He returned just minutes later with their personal doctor in tow, to find her writhing on the bed, tears from the pain soaking her cheeks. _

_He rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms the best he could. She leaned into his shoulder, short sobs escaping her lips as she grabbed onto his hand. _

_The doctor worked quickly to examine her and confirmed, "She's well on her way. It shouldn't be too long now." _

_An agonizing cry ripped through her body as the doctor moved off to the side to prepare for the birth. "I can't have this baby now!" _

_He placed another kiss to her forehead once again assuring her that it'd be okay as the doctor dabbed at her sweaty forehead. "The wardrobe is almost finished, we'll be okay, just hold on." _

_The doctor urged her to push and she cried, screamed in protest, her agonizing pain controlling her every thought. He whispered soothing words into her ear, trying to help her as much as he possibly could. _

_It was minutes of her crying and screaming and pain before Gepetto came barging into the room to bring them the news, "It's ready!" _

_For once in the last few hours he felt a certain hope again and he turned a hopeful smile on his wife who only continued to cry out. He placed one hand under legs, attempting to move her into his arms to carry her to the finished wardrobe but the doctor stopped him immediately telling him that it was too late. _

_And just like that his hope was squashed and he dared a look down at his Snow who looked exhausted and terrified. He kneeled at her side and took her hand in his, squeezing it. _

_It was agonizing minute after agonizing minute and soon there was another cry in the room. A strong, shrill cry that belonged to his daughter. His Emma. _

_The doctor quickly cleaned her up and wrapped her in the blanket Snow had personalized for her and placed her into Snow's arms. _

_Snow's cries came to a sudden halt as soon as Emma was placed in her arms. She took one glance at the small, pink child and a smile spread across her face. _

_He also found himself smiling at the sight of their newborn. They had waited nine months for this perfect being to arrive and though the circumstances of her birth could have been better, she was finally here. He pressed a kiss to Snow's forehead and cradled his hand beneath Emma's small head. _

"_The wardrobe..." She mused quietly, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "It only takes one." _

_His joy at the birth of his daughter was quick lived as he suddenly heard the sound of metal clanging and the shouts of his guards being slaughtered. Tears pricked at the back of his eyes as he realized that hope was lost. He could not save his wife and he could not save his daughter. "Then our plan has failed." He slipped an arm around Snow bringing his two girls closer to his body. "At least we're together." He leaned his head in, resting it against Snow's as they both stared down at innocent little Emma. Their beautiful little girl who never got the chance to live. He suppressed a sob of his own, wanting, no, needing to be strong in the presence of his wife and daughter. _

"_No..." Snow muttered suddenly and he could hear the determination in her voice. "You have to take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe." _

"_Are you out of your mind?" _

"_No!" She insisted, glancing up at him frantically. "It's the only way, you have to save her." _

"_No, no, no, no, you don't know what you're saying..." _

"_No, I do!" She countered. "We have to believe that she'll come back for us. We have to give her her best chance." _

_He bit back a sob at the realization that she was right. He leaned down and pressed the gentlest of kisses to Emma's forehead._

"_Goodbye Emma." Snow whispered sweetly, smiling down at the baby. She pressed a tearful kiss to her forehead and then handed her into his arms. _

_Just for a moment he allowed himself to feel the overwhelming feeling of paternal pride and the joy of holding such a beautiful gift in his arms. Overcome with the love he not only felt for Emma but for his wife, he quickly leaned in and shared one last kiss with Snow. _

_He then quickly and carefully maneuvered his way towards the door, grabbing a sword and sharing one last look with her before he headed out of the room, trying to ignore the painful sound of Snow's heart wrenching sobs. _

_His heart leapt into his throat as he came to a halt in the corridor, facing two of the witches' men murdering his guards. He tucked Emma close to his body and assumed fighting position. _

_As the two black guards raced at him, he put his many years of training to good use and careful not to cause any harm to Emma, killed the men. _

_He raced towards the wardrobe and gently placed Emma inside, placing another loving kiss to her forehead and whispering a "Find us" before closing the doors. _

_He heard two other men enter the room and swiftly grabbed his sword and swung at them. They went back and forth for just a minute before he was overcome with a sharp, blinding pain. _

_He slowly sunk to the ground, collapsing at the guards feet, his mind screaming in protest as they rushed towards the wardrobe but his mouth could say not a thing. _

_They pulled the doors open and inside was nothing but empty space and wood. His daughter had made it...he wasn't sure where, but wherever she was she was safe and that was the last thing he thought before everything went black._

_~X~_

He sprung forward, a strangled gasp escaping his throat, his body covered in sweat and his heart pounding. His eyes were wide and alert as he took in his surroundings.

His chest heaving, he looked down and pulled his shirt up, running his fingers over his bare skin. Just for a moment he held his breath as his fingers ran over a healing scar in the middle of his torso.

He dropped his shirt as he spotted the book that was thrown to the foot of his bed in his hasty awakening. He reached for the book and flipped through a couple of pages, his eyes widening with every word he read.

It wasn't just a dream anymore.

It was a memory.

They were all memories.

He knew who he was.

He remembered it all.

~X~

Before he knew it he was quickly and quietly making his way down the hospital hallways, the book clutched to his chest. He made sure to avoid any nurses or doctors wandering in the hallways, only rushing through when it was clear.

He slipped past the main desk with no problem and the fresh air hit him for the first time since he'd woken up just over a week ago. He inhaled the fresh air and observed his surroundings and he frowned. He wondered where he was, he wondered how far they had come from his kingdom and if it was all part of the witch's curse.

He looked frantically to either side of him, clueless as to where he was, or where to go but determined to find them.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths willing himself to calm down and concentrate. He remembered Henry mentioning that she was his teacher and he assumed thats where they'd be now.

He glanced right and then glanced left and finally made a turn right, following his hunting instincts.

He walked for miles until the school came into his view. His heart took off as he realized that they were that much closer and he took off into a run.

Just as in the hospital, he was able to easily make his way through the corridors without being noticed or stopped. He peered quickly into every doorway until he found it and then it was like his world had come to a complete stand still.

There she was, standing in front of the classroom, instructing the kids with a happy, little smile on her face, looking as beautiful as the last time he'd seen her. ]

He stepped closer to the door, pressing his hand up against the glass. She was so close and still so far away. He knew that she didn't remember who he was or even who she was. All she knew was that she was Mary Margaret Blanchard, the school teacher.

To him, she was his wife. His Snow White.

Suddenly, in a slow, fluid motion, her head turned in his direction. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing him but quickly morphed into confusion and she spoke to the class before walking over to the door.

She opened the door and he greeted her with a grin. She was standing just there in front of her and he wanted nothing more than to capture her in his arms and hold her tightly and never let her go.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered quietly.

Seeing her was one thing but being able to hear her voice again was something entirely different. Back in their own world, as he lay there, slowly bleeding to death, he knew he'd never be able to hear her voice again. But here they were and here she was and her voice was the sweetest melody he'd ever heard.

"Is everything alright?" Her voice was now tinged with concern and it wasn't until he blinked that he realized he was close to tears.

"Everything is...perfect." He whispered, staring deep into her eyes. Her cheeks flushed and he realized then how different Mary was to Snow. He rarely ever was able to get Snow to blush.

His eyes flickered down to her hands where she was once again fiddling with the ring on her finger.

His heart leapt.

That was his ring. Their wedding ring. The symbol of their eternal love and she wore it every day, even in this new world where she had no idea who he was.

She cleared her throat quietly, capturing his attention. "Do you need something?"

"Yes." He snapped his gaze up to her. "I was wondering if I could speak to Henry."

He saw Mary's eyes focus in on the book he just remembered was clutched against his chest. A look of realization spread across her face and she nodded, smiling softly. She took a few steps into the classroom and searched the room until she met Henry's eyes. The ten year old was on the edge of his seat, leaning against the table to see who was at the door.

"Henry, can you come here for a minute please?"

All the kids eyes were focused intently on Henry but he couldn't care less, he practically flew out of his seat and towards Mary.

Henry's smile faltered for a moment at the sight of him but he then grinned brightly.

"Hello Henry." He greeted with a warm smile and stuck out his hand for the boy. "I need to talk to you."

Henry glanced between Mary and James, his eyes widening slightly when he noticed the unusual sparkle in James' eyes and then he gladly accepted the older man's hand.

He cast one last longing look at Mary, gave her a little nod and then led Henry out into the hallway. He waited until Mary had closed the door behind them before turning to Henry.

Before he could say a word Henry rushed at him and tackled him a hug. He was taken a back by the sudden hug but soon wrapped his arms around him in return.

"You remember, don't you?" Henry whispered against his shirt. "You know who you are."

"Yes." He answered and then knelt down, keeping his hands on Henry's arms, to look at him straight in the eye with a warm smile. "All thanks to you Henry."

Henry beamed. "I knew you'd do it! I knew you'd remember! I saw the way you looked at Ms. Blanchard and you remembered Emma!"

"Emma." He whispered, his eyes widening. "Emma!" He slowly rose to his feet as he remembered the blonde, the beautiful blonde woman. That was his Emma. His tiny little girl who fit in the crook of his arm. Tears stung at his eyes as he glanced down at Henry who continued to beam at him. "She found us."

Henry nodded excitedly. "She did and she's going to help us, just like the story says. On her twenty eighth birthday, she will come and help us in the final battle."

"Just like he said." He whispered, his mind flashing back to that dark, damp cell, with Rumplestiltskin warning them about the curse and informing them of the role their child will pay in saving them. "But they don't know." He focused his attention back on Henry. "No one remembers who they are."

"Except for you." Henry answered. "You remember and you can help convince Ms. Blanchard that she's Snow White. Emma believes me about the curse and what's happened to the town. If we all work together we can figure this out, I know it."

"And what of the witch?"

Henry frowned. "She can't know. She can't ever know." He shook his head. "You have to keep pretending you don't know who you are. You have to keep being David."

"Yet somehow convince Mary that she's my wife and Emma is our daughter and we all really just belong in the realm of this book?"

Henry's lips twitched and he nodded. "Yes."

He sighed and a ran a hand through his hair.

"You can do it, you're Prince Charming."

He glanced down at the smiling boy and a small laugh escaped his lips. He kneeled down once more to his level and locked eyes with him. "It's going to be an adventure."

"I like adventures." Henry answered, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well then Henry," He extended his hand out towards him and Henry reached out to grab it, the same smile on both of their faces, "Let the adventure begin."


	5. Family

_**A/N: This might be a little bit of a filler, if so I apologize, but I wanted to get something up before my school week started again and so I probably won't get the next chapter up until friday at least. Thank you all again so much for all your reviews and favorites! It means so much to me that you all are enjoying this so much!**_

* * *

><p>When he returned to the hospital he found the sheriff's car parked outside and the hospital all a buzz. One of the nurses spotted him as soon as he walked in the door and alerted her co-workers. "He's here! I found him, he's back!"<p>

She grabbed onto his hand and started to pull him towards the elevator. Other nurses surrounded him, including one he'd recognized that had been in his room a lot.

"Mr. Nolan." She scolded and he frowned. "What do you think you were doing? You cannot simply just walk out of the hospital, you could have been hurt."

"I feel fine." He insisted, trying to hide the slight annoyance in his voice. If truth be told all he wanted to do was go back to the elementary school and stay with Snow...Mary The last thing he wanted to do was sit back in that hospital bed and pretend he was someone he was not but he understood that was what he had to do in order to protect everyone in the town.

They were all his friends, all people he once knew and loved and they had not a clue who they were and he figured that was curse enough. It was up to himself and Henry to prevent anything bad from happening and if he had to endure a little discomfort to do so than he would.

He hadn't even realized his nurse was still scolding him for his disappearance until the ding from the elevator brought him back to reality.

"...and with your amnesia, who knows what could have happened, it was just a very dangerous thing to do!"

"David!" It was a voice he didn't recognize saying a name he didn't recognize but the woman rushing at him seemed to know him quite well.

Catherine threw her arms around his neck, clutching onto him tightly. He was thrown slightly off balance from the impact of her body hitting his and only threw his arms around her to keep himself steady. He immediately regretted that decision however when she tightened her grip around him and sobbed quietly into his shoulder.

"I thought something terrible had happened to you." She whispered, pulling back moments later and cupping his face in her hands. He stared into her tear filled eyes and wondered how someone who he had never met before could lie so flawlessly.

"I just wanted to go for a walk." He offered in explanation.

"Oh David..." She sighed quietly, running her thumb against his cheek affectionately and he had to physically restrain himself from pulling away. There was only one woman he'd let do that and she currently had no idea who he was. That thought pulled at his heart strings and made an uncomfortable tightening in his stomach. "Sweetheart, you can't do things like that...not in your condition."

"My condition?" He pulled away from her, narrowing his eyes at her. "My condition is fine."

"David..." She began slowly, her voice softening and his fists curled up lightly. He never actually thought of himself as demeaning or rude to people, not to people who didn't deserve it anyway, but he was a prince and he hated to be treated like a young child. "You were found at the side of the road unconscious...you have amnesia, they're keeping you here for a reason honey."

His nails now dug lightly into the palm of his hand. He did not particularly like all the pet names this woman was calling him. The only thing Snow ever called him was 'Charming' and he loved that. He missed that...

He missed her. While it was true he just saw her, it wasn't her. She gave him that look of adoration but it was similar to the one she'd give him when they first met and so much had happened since they first met. They fell so much deeper in love, where they weren't just bantering and flirting in the woods, they were planning a life together, spending every waking moment together.

His mind drifted off to a particularly fond memory, one of the happiest evenings of his life...

_He found her sitting in the back garden on one of the many decorative benches, her hands folded on her lap in front of her and a small contended smile on her face as she watched the blue birds fly above her. _

"_There you are!" _

_Her head turned to look at him and her smile widened as he approached. _

"_You should be in bed, Snow." He paused next to her, staring down at her in nothing less than concern. _

_She laughed softly and the sound was music to his ears. "Oh Charming, you never could keep me locked up for long." _

_He scoffed but a smile tugged at his lips. "I am hardly trying to keep you locked up my Snow White." _

_She hummed in response and turned a beaming smile at him. A smile to which he couldn't resist but place a kiss upon so he leaned forward and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. _

_She suddenly grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him onto the open space next to her and he landed with a thud, mumbling a protest against her lips. She secured her hand behind his head to keep him close and drew on their kiss. _

"_I take it you are feeling better then?" He asked as soon as they parted. _

_That same beaming smile crossed her lips and she turned her head into his shoulder, leaning against his side, her hands sliding to entwine with his. "Much better." _

"_You saw the doctor earlier today, is that right?" He wondered and she nodded against him. _

"_What did he say? Was it just a bug?" _

"_Oh..." Her tone suddenly was mysterious as she rubbed her thumb against the ring around his finger. "It's something a bit more than just a bug..."_

"_What?" He pulled away, alarmed. "Snow, what is it?" He asked urgently, looking over her body for any signs of the mysterious plague that had taken a number of victims in the towns surrounding their kingdom. His heart raced at the thought of losing her. Was this part of this witch's curse? He couldn't bare the thought of losing his wife, especially not to the plague and because of the witch. _

_Though to his great surprise she only started to laugh. There was no sign of panic or worry in her eyes, only pure delight. She lifted her hand to the side and rubbed her thumb gently over the worry lines under his eyes. "Charming, relax. There is nothing to worry about." _

"_It's nothing?" He questioned quietly. "You're not ill?" _

"_No." The laughter was still in her voice and she shook her head. "I'm not ill."_

_His body visibly relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief and he settled back into Snow's side, throwing his arm casually around her shoulder to hold her to him. "Then what is it? What did he say?" _

"_James..." She started and his attention was immediately caught. His heart leapt and thoughts swarmed his head. She wasn't ill yet she used his first name which meant she had to be serious about something. What could have possibly made her feel under the weather for days upon days and yet not make her seriously ill..._

_She tightened her grip around his arm and turned her face up to look at him, her brown eyes wide and twinkling in the dimming light of the sunset. She lifted her hand to his chest and played ever so lightly with the material of his shirt and nothing would prepare him for the words that escaped her lips, "How would you feel about a baby?" _

_It took a moment for the words to register in his head. "A...a baby?" _

_She bit her lower lip softly, taking his hand in hers and moving it to cover her abdomen. "A baby." _

_His eyes slowly trailed down to where their hands lay rested over her flat stomach and then made their way back to her face where they locked gazes and he finally understood the happy twinkle in her eyes. "You're pregnant?" _

"_Yes." She whispered in confirmation, a small smile playing on her lips but her eyes questioning him, awaiting a proper response. _

_And she soon received one. _

_A grin, big, dopey and adorable crossed his lips and suddenly they were off the bench and he was twirling her through the air, both of their joyous laughters filling the still, peaceful air around them. _

_As her feet touched the ground, she secured her arms around his neck, pressing their foreheads together, their smiles matching in equal intensity. _

"_I take it you're pleased." She whispered. _

"_Pleased?" He pulled back to look directly into her eyes. "Snow...we're having a baby!"_

"_Yes, we are." _

_One arm tightened around her middle and the other moved to cup her cheek in his palm. He directed her mouth to his and they expressed their love, their joy, their excitement in a loving, passionate kiss. _

_Nothing else mattered in that moment; They forgot all about the witch and her looming curse. They were going to become a family and for once in a long while, everything was perfect. _

"David?"

He was pulled out of his memory and it felt like someone had thrown freezing water at him, being forced back into this cruel reality.

"What on Earth were you thinking about?" Catherine questioned, placing a hand on her hip, her eyes riddled with confusion.

He realized then that he must have been a sight though he hardly cared. He would have been content to stand there for hours getting lost in the memories of his and Snow's life.

"Nothing." He managed to choke out for it was anything but nothing. "It was just a dream."

Catherine sighed quietly. "Let's get you back to your room."

"Mr. Nolan." That was a voice that sent cold shivers down his spine. A voice he'd had nightmares about for months on end. He looked over Catherine's shoulder and there she was, standing near the entrance of his room, a smug little smile on her face that she tried to pass off as relief.

His jaw clenched at the sight of her and all he saw in that moment was the sight of her threatening them on their wedding day, the fear in Snow's eyes as she worried about the curse every day since their wedding, the sound of both hers and Emma's cries as he rushed to save their little girl from certain doom.

His eyes flashed angrily and his hands flew to his waist, reaching for the sword that always hung from its sheath. He patted his thigh, still searching for the sword but only feeling the smooth cotton of his sweatpants against his fingertips.

Feeling just a bit defenseless without his sword, he took half a step back, tensed his body and curled his fists at his side.

As she approached he kept a steady glare on her, his heart rate increasing with every step she took and he had to refrain from attacking her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she drew nearer, no doubt taking in the sight of his anger. "Is everything alright?"

Catherine looked over her shoulder at him, gaping at his expression. "David?" She asked in concern.

He let out a few deep breaths out of his nose as he suddenly remembered Henry's words._ "__She __can__'__t __know. __She __can__'__t __ever __know.__" _

He ground his teeth together and then forced himself to relax his body and softened his facial features, pushing a smile onto his lips to appear less hostile. "Yes." He said, his voice stern and unwavering. "I'm just tired."

The witch smiled and gave a curt nod. "Perfectly understandable. I am just glad to see you're alright." She reached out and placed a hand on his arm and he almost flinched away from her.

He tightened his smile even further before looking over at Catherine. "I'm going to lay down now." He roughly pulled away from her, his jaw clenching once again as his back was turned towards her.

He almost slammed the door closed but he refrained and instead flopped himself down on the bed, facing the window so he could not see Catherine or the mayor.

He'd thankfully left the book with Henry at school. He hated to think of what would have happened if she had seen him with that book.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew that if he didn't control his anger around her that he'd blow their cover and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Henry was right, he had to be David, and David had no reason to be angry with the mayor.

He had to remind himself that even though the witch seemed to be winning, they had the upper hand now. They had him and they had Emma and soon enough, with his help, they'd have Snow.

If it was one thing he learned from being married to Snow White it was that she could do anything and together they could do the impossible.

And now they had their Emma, a little girl who beat the odds when she was just minutes old, and Henry, the cleverest boy he'd ever met, the son of his Emma.

He had his family and no curse, no matter how powerful, could ever beat that.


	6. Visitations

_**A/N: Firstly, I'd like to apologize for my lack of update. Two weeks is shameful but I hit a bit of a block. I think I know where I'm heading now though and there shouldn't be too much of a wait for the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one!**_

* * *

><p>The next morning he woke up to find Catherine still at his bedside. She was fast asleep with her head tucked uncomfortably into her shoulder. She'd done this every so often, usually after he had a bad day and after yesterday, well he supposed that could be considered bad in her eyes too.<p>

He did wish however that she wasn't around. She smothered him to be perfectly honest and he knew she was just trying to help but as a man who is not David Nolan it made him dreadfully uncomfortable. He didn't even think that even if he was David Nolan and had no memories of being David Nolan that her smothering would help.

He remembered being without his memories and how both Catherine and Henry were trying to coax two different memories upon him. Of course, the rightful memories were frustrating at first but they called to him and pulled him through, unlike Catherine's tales which sat as dead weight.

Catherine stirred beside him and his heart leapt into his throat. Perhaps it was a bit childish and un-Prince like but he shut his eyes and avoided the situation.

He listened carefully as Catherine rose from her sleep and rustled in her chair. She let out a groan, probably from her sleeping position, and then a sigh, most likely because of him.

His jaw clenched ever so lightly as her hand came to rest upon his. "I'll be back soon." She gave his hand a quick squeeze and the chair screeched against the floor as she stood up.

He held his breath and waited for the sound of the door opening and closing, waited just one more minute and finally cracked an eye open to see her disappearing around the corner.

He let out a sigh of relief and flipped over onto his side, staring at the clock, glaring its numbers at him, and then out into the sunlight.

He wondered what she was doing, his Snow White.

No doubt in her classroom, preaching all the wonderful lessons of life as he heard her do just the day before, her batch of children hanging on her every word.

Snow always had a way with people, regardless of whether she saw it or not. Yes, granted she was thief at one point in her life but that was hardly her fault. Or perhaps it was, she had told him of what she had done to the witch, though he hardly held her accountable for it. She was after all, an evil witch.

But the moment she stepped foot into his castle, she had his whole staff under her spell of gentle lovingness. She was a little rough around the edges, she was apprehensive about being in such a place but once he was able to assure her that she was safe there she warmed up immediately. She made friends with the maids and the women who tended the garden. The male servants swooned at her but she made it perfectly clear that she belonged to only one man.

A smile crossed his face as he remembered the first time he ever saw her in anything but those old "rags" as he called them. There was a ball, to celebrate the kingdom's victory over their latest enemy just a year prior and he convinced her to come along with him.

_He stood at the base of the stairs, wringing his sweaty palms together. He hardly understood why he was nervous, he had been to countless balls in his lifetime and escorted countless of beautiful women, including his recent ex-betrothed. This was hardly a difference. _

_Except it was and he knew it. _

_He wasn't escorting just any beautiful woman. He was escorting Snow White, certainly the fairest in all the land, and the woman he had so recently fell deeply in love with. _

_Snow was not accustomed to these types of social gatherings. He had been to her social gatherings: a meal of whatever they could find at the dwarves little cottage, dancing in an un-uniformed manner to music played on homemade instruments, birds chirping and flying around with them and other small, woodland creatures gathering in the windows. _

_It was the freest he had ever seen Snow White and that was the night he discovered he fell in love with her. _

_How carefree she was as she danced with her very best friends, how she smiled at him with such a light in her eyes and how she pulled him up to dance with her and how she made him feel, that for once in his life he was more than just a prince. _

_He was brought out of his memories of that wonderful night as he heard quick footsteps from above. He lifted his head, his heart racing in anticipation. _

_Two of the younger maids appeared at the top of the stairs and then scurried down the steps towards him with matching grins. _

"_She's on her way, your Highness." _

"_She__ looks_ beautiful._" _

"_Thank you ladies." His voice was strained and he realized then how much Snow affected him. Just the anticipation of seeing her made him choke up. _

_A soft clearing of the throat brought his attention back to the top of the staircase and his breath caught in his chest. There she stood dressed in a flowing, pale pink dress, matching gloves that reached her elbows, her hair falling in perfect curls against her shoulders and a floral tiara resting on the top of her head. _

_He turned fully to face her, dropping his hands to his side, smiling as she smiled at him. She slid her hand onto the banister and gracefully made her way down the staircase towards him as if she were born to be a princess. _

_He climbed the first couple of steps to meet her, extending his hand towards her as she neared. Her hand that rested on the banister slid into his hand and his fingers lightly curled around hers as he led her the rest of the way down. _

_They paused just at the base of the staircase, him tugging at her hand ever so gently to keep her close. His eyes roamed her now that she was in front of him, taking in the full magnitude of her. _

"_Snow..." Was all he could muster as he met her eyes. _

_Her eyes twinkled in delight and amusement and a smile lit her face. "I never thought I'd see the day when you had nothing to say." She teased. _

_His lips curled in a smirk and he laughed softly, before clearing his throat and composing himself. "You look beautiful." _

_Snow ducked her head to hide the light blush that coated her cheeks but he noticed. It was the first time he put that soft shade of pink in her cheeks, the next time would be on their wedding day. _

_He brought her gloved hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Her eyes flickered back up to his, the blush still on her cheeks but her well known smirk now lay rested on her lips. "Charming." She noted. _

_He winked at her quickly and the most beautiful laugh escaped her lips. His grip tightened around her hand and he drew her close to him, smiling over at her. "Our carriage awaits." _

_The smile on her lips lay perfectly in place and he led her out to his own horse drawn carriage to take them to the ball of their lives. _

He sighed quietly as he recalled that night moment for moment. Every dance, every smile, even that tightness in his stomach when some of the men whisked her away for a dance of their own. But she always returned to him, after every dance with another man she'd come swinging right back into his awaiting arms.

When she wasn't with him he couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable she looked but when she was with him...it was as if she belonged.

He remembered that he kept thinking that he couldn't possibly live without her by his side. The night flew by with her at his side unlike past balls which would drag on as he danced with every eligible princess or duchess or Lady in the land but then there was only one. Snow White.

He flipped around onto his back and stared at the ceiling, one hand resting on his chest, his fingers tracing lightly over his scar through the fabric of his shirt.

He certainly was grateful to be alive and even more so that Snow and Emma were too but at the moment he wished that they were out of the mess of this curse. He hated not being able to communicate with Snow in the way he'd like. He hated that she'd look at him and not recognize him as her true love.

He had his memories but he was just as trapped as everyone else for he could do nothing with them.

He closed his eyes and lost himself in his memories until he was woken several hours later by a soft knock at the door.

He startled, his heart leaping, thinking (hoping) that'd it'd be Snow, even if she couldn't remember him, he got such joy out of seeing her face.

However as he looked towards the door he only found his nurse and his heart dropped. He quickly forced a smile to his lips and waved her in, figuring it was his daily check up.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Nolan." She greeted warmly as she stepped in.

He turned his attention towards the window quickly, noticing the sun's position high in the sky and wondered how he slept the whole morning away.

"Oh, yes, um, good afternoon." He responded, finally recognizing her presence and she smiled again.

"How are you feeling today? No more feelings about running away again, I hope." She shot him a pointed look.

He let out a huff of laughter and smiled tightly, shaking his head. "Not yet." He answered, half seriously and she laughed it off.

She quickly ran through his vitals, taking his temperature, taking his pulse and of course, checking on his scar. She assured him everything was fine and he thanked her.

"Oh, yes!" She turned to him, just as she was about to leave, pulling something out of her pocket. "I've been meaning to return this to you."

His brow furrowed and he inclined his head to try and see what was in her hand. She reached his bedside and placed it gently in the palm of his hand and his eyes widened at seeing it.

"It was around your wrist when the mayor brought you in, we discarded your clothing, we hardly thought you wanted to keep them all covered in blood but this I thought would have some meaning to you."

In his hand was an intricately made band made of what looked like tree bark but felt like leather.

"Yes." His throat was tight as he stared down at it. Snow had made it for him as a wedding gift. She said that she had nothing to give him and because he gave her such a beautiful ring she wanted to give him something in return. She said it was made from the bark of a tree that grew just beyond the dwarves' cottage. She said the tree was grown with magical seeds the dwarves had acquired and that nothing, no water, no fire, not the sharpest blade of a sword could damage it and that like their love, it would live forever.

He wore it every day since then and couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it was gone. He slipped it around his wrist, the first tangible evidence from his home and he felt that much closer to Snow.

"Thank you." He whispered, bringing his eyes upwards to meet hers. She smiled warmly and placed a hand over his, "Have a good rest of the day, Mr. Nolan. I'll be checking up on you again before I leave."

He nodded quietly and glanced back down at the band around wrist. He smiled and rested back onto his bed, bringing his hand to rest over his heart, imagining that he was back at home, Snow at his side as they watched their little Emma sleep in her crib.

A life that never would be.

He was drawn out of his day dreams by yet another knock on the door an hour later. His eyes narrowed curiously as he spotted an eerily familiar man standing at his door. He made not a sound or movement but the man opened the door and walked in anyway.

"Sorry to bother you," His voice was smooth, yet there was something so off putting about him and so his body tensed, "I heard you finally awoke, we were beginning to worry."

He slowly sat up and pressed himself against the headboard, eyeing the stranger carefully. "I...I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but...who are you?"

The man chuckled and a chill ran up his spine. "I'm afraid I am the rude one for not introducing myself." He approached the bed slowly and the closer he got, the more apprehensive he became towards him and he hesitated shaking the man's hand as he stretched it out towards him. "Mr. Gold, founder of Storybrooke." He flashed an eerie smile and their eyes met and as he stared into Mr. Gold's mischievous eyes, he noticed a peculiar glint he'd only ever seen in one man's eyes before.

He nearly hissed, slipping his hand out of Mr. Gold's.

_Rumplestiltskin._ His thoughts growled.

He was tidied up but it was most certainly him and he trusted him just as much as he trusted the witch. He was a dirty little scoundrel and he most certainly blamed him for Thomas' disappearance and causing Ella to live in fear, raising her child all on her own. He hated the look he gave Snow as she went to ask him about the curse, he hated the way his lips formed his daughter's name.

And perhaps in this world he didn't have his magic but he still had power and therefore still just as dangerous.

"Is everything all right, Mr. Nolan?" His voice brought him back to reality and for a moment his eyes darkened as he glared at the man before him but then it softened, remembering that he had to keep his cover as David Nolan.

He forced a smile to his lips and nodded. "Yes, of course. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Gold."

Mr. Gold smirked and looked around the room, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You must be going completely mad in here."

He shrugged. "They should be releasing me within a few days."

"Is that right?"

He nodded curtly.

He adopted that eery smile once again. "Good news, good news."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously and his chest tightened as he wondered if perhaps Mr. Gold was aware that this town was not what it seemed. If perhaps he, Henry and Emma weren't the only ones knew the truth about Storybrooke.

He never knew how much Rumplestiltskin was involved in the curse, if he just knew of the curse or was partners with the witch and took part in its creation.

Mr. Gold's smile faded into a smirk and his eyes continued to glint mischievously. "You have a good evening, Mr. Nolan."

He turned slowly, walking out of the room and the eery feeling loomed in his room for minutes afterward.

He glanced down at his wrist and hoped that wherever she was and whatever she was doing, Snow was safe from him.

One of the nurses came by to bring his lunch which he was incredibly thankful for. He didn't even realize how hungry he was until the food was in front of him.

After he ate he got off his bed and decided to roam around his room just to break up the monotony of sitting around in his bed all day. There was nothing much to do and he wished he still had Henry's book. He had been relying on his memories all day and though his memories were strong and vivid, having their story in his hands and tangible was another feeling entirely.

He took a seat by the window, staring out at the town, looking in the direction of Snow's school. He placed his hand against the cool glass yearning to be out there with her.

A sigh escaped his lips.

One day, he told himself. One day the curse would be broken. Henry believed it and when he saw that look of faith and determination in that boy's eyes he had to believe it himself.

One day the curse would be broken, the witch will be destroyed, rumplestilkstkin will be locked up for good, his magic having no power over anyone, and he'd be with Snow, once again living their happily ever after.

For the third time that day, a knock on the glass of his door rose him from his thoughts. His eyes closed tightly and he dreaded who'd be on the other side of that door. Was Catherine back already? Had Mr. Gold returned? Was it the mayor?

Squaring his shoulders, preparing himself for the worst he turned and what he saw caused a smile form his lips.

Just outside the glass, with a small smirk on her lips, and Henry attached to her hand was Emma.

He hadn't seen her since he regained his memories and to finally see her was something extraordinary.

He quickly stood from his chair and strode towards the door pulling it open with a bright smile. "Hello!" He greeted happily, his tone light, with just a hint of surprise.

"Hey." Emma greeted with a small wave and her voice warmed his heart. "So sorry to just drop in like this, Henry insisted on seeing you. Regina wasn't able to take him home from school today so he asked me to take him here, so I just-" She continued to speak but the words were lost upon him. He was mesmerized by her.

This beautiful, young woman was his daughter. The moment she was born, even in their haste and panic, he felt a moment of peace because he just laid eyes on the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. A small, helpless little baby who relied completely on both him and Snow for her safety and protection, locked away in a wardrobe as the curse quickly descended on them.

And now here she stood, 28 years later, unaffected by the curse just as they hoped. His beautiful Emma.

She was everything he hoped she would be and so much like her mother. Staring at her now, he wished desperately he could have been there to watch her grow into the young woman she was standing before him.

He was shaken from his inner thoughts as her hand waved in front of his face, catching his attention. He shook his head to clear his mind and saw her staring at him with a look that reminded him so much of Snow.

"...everything alright, there?"

"Yes." He whispered and then cleared his throat, deepening his voice. "Yes. I apologize. You were saying?"

Her brow lifted for a moment and then she continued with a small laugh, "Just- Henry's here to see you."

He finally was able to take his gaze away from Emma to the young boy standing next to her and took in the sight of his beaming face. He knew Henry was thrilled to death that he remembered who he was. He smiled at him and reached out for him, taking him lightly by the shoulder and guiding him away from Emma and to his side. "Hey kiddo."

"Hey!" Henry greeted happily.

"Why don't you go in the room, Henry." Emma suggested. "I'll give you your pal in a minute."

He looked up to Emma curiously and Henry glanced between the two before smiling, nodding in agreement and scurrying into the room, the door closing behind him.

He lifted his brow, silently asking her what she wanted and she took him lightly by the arm and pulled him in closer.

He had to use every ounce of his self control to not take her into his arms and hold her.

"It's really sweet that you've allowed him to spend so much time with you but you don't have to..." Her eyes met his and he noticed the uncertainty written there. He had to remind himself that Henry was her child just as she was his. "I can't imagine how confused you are, not remembering who you are and to have to deal with -"

He shook his head, cutting her off there. "I'm not dealing with Henry. Henry is a very sweet boy and I enjoy his company, truthfully, he is the only thing that makes me feel...at home."

Emma smiled and glanced over his shoulder to Henry who was seated on his bed, kicking his feet as he watched them.

"He does seem to have that effect on people."

"Emma," His heart leapt as he spoke her name and placed his hand over hers, "Henry is welcome here anytime...I know he's very lonely and so am I."

Emma nodded with a smile and whispered, "Thank you."

He nodded in return and she released him, taking a step away. "I'll be back to pick him up in an hour. He needs to be home by five."

He smiled. "We shall see you then."

She glanced over his shoulder, waving to Henry and then nodded to him and turned to head down the hall. He watched her until she disappeared and then headed into his room where Henry waited.


	7. Love

_**A/N: I wasn't going to write this but I got a lot of requests for it and I'm actually glad I did! It's short but some Henry/James bonding time! Next chapter will return to the David/Mary/Charming/Snow story! And who is excited for Sunday's episode? 1 hour of just Charming and David/Mary...oh my heart! **_

_**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!**_

* * *

><p>As soon as Emma disappeared out of his sight, he turned to Henry who was still swinging his legs back and forth, staring back at him with a smile on his face.<p>

A smile tugged at his lips and he walked over to sit beside him.

"Hello Henry."

"Hello James." The boy answered and a thrilled rushed through him. He never thought he'd ever feel such a relief at the sound of his own name but it hadn't been said in a long time and it was nice to be called something other than "David" or "Mr. Nolan".

Henry must have noticed his thrill because his grin widened and he inched closer, placing a hand over his knee.

"You called me James."

Henry nodded. "It's your name."

He locked onto the boy's brown eyes, shining back at him and chuckled before reaching his arm around him to hold him close.

Henry was the only member of his family who knew who he was and the more time he got to spend with him the better.

"So Henry- to what I owe the pleasure?"

"We need to talk about Operation Cobra."

"Operation Cobra?"

"Yes." He nodded. "It's the name me and Emma made up for the curse and what we're going to do about it."

As if he needed another reason to adore his daughter and her son. He hardly knew Emma but he was getting to know Henry and if his cleverness was indication, she was just as so. And Emma got hers from her mother, the most clever woman he'd ever met.

He smiled proudly down at Henry. "Operation Cobra...very well then, what would you to talk about in particular?"

"We need to plan our next step."

"Which is...?"

"Getting Miss Blanchard to remember she's Snow White." He explained. "You were part of the last step and now that we have you the closer we are to breaking the curse."

"Because I remember."

"Yes." He said. "The more people that remember the weaker the curse will get and if we can get both you and Miss Blanchard than the curse will break even quicker."

He raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

He shrugged. "It's simple really, the curse was focused mainly on you two. She created the curse mostly because of you."

"We're the foundation." He realized. "And if you break the foundation..."

"...everything comes crumbling down." Henry finished with a smile.

"Henry," He beamed down at him, "That's brilliant."

Henry beamed back at him and gave a curt nod. "I know but now we just need to figure out _how_ we're going to get her to remember."

"Oh." He frowned in thought.

Henry stared at him, his eyes wide and curious. "Do you have any ideas?"

He opened his mouth but no words came. Truth be told he had no idea how to get Snow to remember who he was or more importantly, who she was. "We would have to stimulate her memories somehow..."

Henry nodded in agreement. "Yes, and you're the one who knows her the best."

"I know Snow White." He countered with a frown. "Not Mary Margaret."

Henry sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Mary Margaret _is_ Snow White!"

"She's not." He insisted. "Not really. There are differences, subtle differences but they're there."

"Like what?" Henry inquired.

"Mary is less confident and so much more timid. Whenever she's around me she becomes quiet. Snow was never like that. She always said what was on her mind, the first time we met she pelted me with a rock for heaven's sake." He brought his thumb up to caress the scar on his chin and Henry smirked.

"Okay." Henry complied. "But inside Mary is Snow White and you are the only one who can get her out."

He shook himself from his memories and met Henry's eyes. "How?"

Henry drew in his lower lip between his teeth in thought something he often did himself and he was reminded once again that Henry was his blood.

"You've got to make her fall in love with you."

He scoffed at Henry's blunt and simple answer. "I...what?"

Henry sighed heavily. "You're her husband, James! You made her fall in love with you once, you can do it again."

Just as Henry had done moments before he drew in his bottom lip between his teeth and twisted the bark band around his wrist. The motion caught Henry's eye and he drew his brow together in wonder, placing his hand over his. "What is that? You weren't wearing it before."

The smile returned to his face as he stared down at it. "It was a wedding gift from Snow, the nurses just returned it to me."

Henry whipped his head up, his eyes wide and his mouth forming a small "o", looking as if he was just told the most wonderful thing. "You have something from that world?"

"Yes." He answered, perplexed by the boy's reaction. "Is that important?"

"Are you kidding me?" Henry exclaimed, jumping off the bed taking him by surprise. "It's extremely important! The one thing I've been looking for, the one thing I could never find was proof that it was all real! This," He placed his hand back over James' which still rested on the band, "This is proof!"

"I thought I was proof."

"Yes and no." Henry responded. "You have your memories but memories could easily be made, they're just words. This is real!" He stroked his fingers over it, smiling brightly. "It's unlike anything I've ever seen or felt before."

"It's magical." He explained and Henry's eyes widened again. "Nothing in the world can destroy it."

"Definitely not from our world then." Henry continued, hope written in his big brown eyes.

He finally caught Henry's meaning and a smile tugged at his lips. "Definitely not from this world."

Henry grinned and he suddenly hopped onto his lap, causing him to groan and threw his arms around his neck. "Thank you James." He whispered against his cheek.

He gently wrapped his arms around the boy and held him against him. "For what Henry?"

"For remembering, for helping me, for being a part of this."

He smiled and pressed a light kiss to the top of Henry's head. "That's what family does."

He felt Henry's breath hitch and he froze in his arms for a moment before slowly pulling back and meeting his eyes with a hopeful yet vulnerable look. "Family?" He whispered.

"Yes, Henry." He kept his arms secured around him as he smiled warmly at him. "Your mother is my daughter, we're family."

Henry's eyes glistened and as he threw his arms around his neck again he realized just how lonely Henry was. He had Regina for the first ten years of his life but he could imagine how cold she could be at time and how Henry must not have felt truly loved.

He would make sure to change that and soon. He may not have had the chance to raise Emma and Emma may not be ready to raise Henry but he would be there for him. He would love him and support him the way Regina never had.

He was going to be the father that he never got the chance to be and the one that Henry never had.


	8. Home

_**A/N: I'd just like to acknowledge that this story has its own personal canon, meaning I probably won't follow the show's canon. There are some aspects, little details that will be brought from the show but other than that (this whole chapter is basically a re-write of one of the scenes in the last episode so...). When the show gets heartbreaking and depressing, I will retreat to writing in my own canon where they do live happily ever after! So enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>They finally released him two days later. Dr. Whale explained that his scar was practically healed and though he still had amnesia, he could still live a normal life at home, with help from his wife.<p>

His "wife" was too excited to hear the news and was all ready to pick him up and bring him home on the day of his release.

He was grateful to be out of the hospital however he was less than thrilled at the prospect of living with a stranger. And more than that, a stranger who was lying to him.

He knew exactly who he was and he certainly wasn't David Nolan and Catherine certainly was not his wife and she had to have known that. He wondered if a David Nolan actually even existed at all.

Before he regained his memories, he noticed that Catherine would always be talking with the mayor and of course then he thought nothing of it. Now whenever she walked into the room he could feel the darkness surrounding them, feel her eyes boring holes into his soul, and whenever they'd talk he'd get a chill up his spine as if they were discussing something sinister which in all honesty, they probably were.

After Dr. Whale did his last examination on him to prove he was ready to be discharged, he changed into some normal clothes that Catherine had brought him and met Catherine at the door.

She hugged him tightly and told him she was glad to finally be bringing him home. He smiled tightly and expressed his own relief. She took him by the hand and led him out of the hospital, heading to the place she called home.

They pulled up in front of a decent sized house, white and perfect for a couple. In front was a sign that said 'the Nolan's' and hanging across the roof was a banner reading 'Welcome Home David'.

But it wasn't home, it wasn't even close to home. Home was a castle, protected by guards and with Snow by his side.

He jumped as he felt a hand slide over his and squeeze gently, bringing his attention to Catherine who sat beside him. "Do you remember it?" She asked hopefully.

He turned back to the house and took a long hard look at it (all for her sake of course, he would never remember a house that he never lived in) and then with a frown and a sigh, shook his head.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Catherine's shoulders slump and her hand slipped away from his. He damned the curse again, not only for taking his wife and daughter away from him but also for causing pain to this woman who had fake memories of loving a husband that didn't exist.

"They're waiting for us." She said dejectedly, starting to push the car door open.

"They?" He looked at her, raising his brow in question.

"Our friends." She elaborated with a small smile. "I figured it'd be nice if we had a party to welcome you home and perhaps you'd remember a face or two."

Her face was so hopeful and yet so sad and he could only nod, forcing a hopeful smile to his own lips.

Her smile widened for a moment and then she exited the car, walking over to his side to help him. His chivalrous instincts screamed against it, he should be the one to be helping her out of the car and escorting her inside. But he had to remember that he was in a different time and he was David Nolan not Prince James.

So he reluctantly accepted her arm and she led him into the house. As soon as the door opened he could hear the soft chattering of people and wondered how many people Catherine had invited and how many people he was supposed to remember and if he did recognize faces how could he possibly remember to not call them by the names he knows them as.

Pretending to be David Nolan was not as easy a task as he thought it would be.

He didn't realize what his thought process had done to him until Catherine stopped them just before they walked into the living room where the guests were waiting. With gentle hesitance she rubbed his arms, looking directly into his eyes, "Relax David, these are all friendly people and they just wish to welcome you home. I know it can be overwhelming but enjoy yourself."

His tensed muscles relaxed and he took a deep breath before nodding to her. She smiled reassuringly and linked his arm with hers before clearing her throat to announce their presence.

It was an action that reminded him too much of home and as she led him into the room of awaiting guests he almost expected it to be the grand hall filled with hundreds of people dressed in fancy dress.

It was a small room filled with just about twenty or so people, dressed in casual clothing but smiling and applauding as they entered.

He had to remind himself once again to not do anything Prince-like. He was used to bowing as soon as he entered a room to the applause of many people, he was used to greeting people by name, kissing the women's hands and a hand shake with the men.

But here he was only met with smiles and "welcome home David's" and the occasional hug. He recognized a few people and held their names at the tip of his tongue as Catherine introduced them as who they were in this world.

Regina was among the few who came to hug him. His muscles tensed at her approach and he tried his hardest not to show how uncomfortable he was in her presence. Her arms slipped around him in a cold hug and she placed a kiss, just as cold, to his cheek. He forced a smile to his lips as she pulled away.

"Welcome home, David."

"Thank you Ms. Mills-"

"Regina, please." Her smile sent a chill down his spine and he only nodded. She eyed him for a moment and the longer she kept his gaze on him the more tense he became and his hand twitched at his side.

Finally she broke her intense gaze by flickering her eyes towards Catherine and smiling. "Could I borrow you for a moment Catherine, we're just having a little issue in the kitchen."

"Oh!" Catherine's eyes widened. "Of course, yes." She looked up to him, tightening her grip on his arm. "I'll be just a few, alright?"

He smiled at her with a nod. "You go ahead, I'll be fine."

She smiled and patted his hand before releasing him and disappearing with Regina into the kitchen. As soon as they were out of his sight he felt all of the tension leave his body with a deep sigh.

He scanned the room, searching for a familiar face to talk to, and perhaps try to get an insight on to who David Nolan was.

It was then that he spotted them. They were all seated together in the far off corner of the room, huddling close together and speaking quietly. Snow, Emma and Henry.

His heart leapt at the sight of his family all together even if they had no idea who each other was. He never thought the day would come where his family would be together again, and even with his daughter looking just as old as his wife, it was a sight he would never be able to forget. He wanted nothing more than to just wrap all of them in his arms and take them to a place where they'd always be together.

With his heart thudding hard against his chest he made his way over to them, reminding himself over and over again to be David.

All three pairs of eyes, two hazel, one brown turned their attention on him once they caught sight of him approaching and immediately they shut their mouths and straightened themselves out of their huddle, each smiling their own smile. Mary with a hesitant but warm smile, Emma also warm with just a hint of a smirk and Henry with his well known beaming grin.

"Here are some faces I actually recognize." He announced once he was near enough, his statement true for speaking both as David and James.

Mary's face twisted in sympathy. "You still don't remember anything?

Briefly his eyes flickered over to Henry, the only person who knew that he remembered everything and then shook his head with a sigh.

"Not a thing."

"I'm sorry." Her voice was calm and caring, her eyes so genuine that he wished with all his might she could remember who she was just so he could express how much he loved her. "That must be so hard for you."

"It's frustrating." He admitted. "But I have hope that one day it will all come back."

"I'm sure it will." Mary smiled, her eyes glinting in the familiar way he'd fallen in love with. His eyes locked onto hers and a smile spread across his face. Even as Mary Margaret she took his breath away and he wondered how good his self control was. He could slay a dragon, he could fight any threat that should come his way but he could not survive being taken from his love.

Receiving the news that Snow was dead was one of the worst moments of his life. He remembered feeling like the world had stopped, he remembered feeling pure terror as he raced through miles and miles of bitter cold to get to her, he remembered the feeling of his heart dropping into his stomach at the sight of her so peacefully rested in the coffin, and the guilt and regret he felt at not being able to save her. Living without Snow was a nightmare in itself and though she physically was right before him she was too far away and unreachable.

Somebody cleared their throat and both he and Mary jumped as their intense eye-lock was broken. They turned their heads toward the voice and saw Emma staring at them, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyebrows raised knowingly and a smirk on her lips.

Mary blushed a beautiful shade of pink and ran her fingers through her short hair before returning her hands to her lap and twisting them together.

His eyes once again found the ring on her finger and he wondered what Mary thought it was. His chest suddenly tightened as a thought came to him...if he was married to another in this reality was it possible that she was as well? Yes, she never mentioned a husband to him but it was not something you discussed with a stranger.

Swallowing over the sudden lump in his throat and trying to keep his voice steady he acknowledged, "That's a beautiful ring."

Mary looked perplexed for a moment before her eyes shot down to her lap and the ring on her finger. "Oh," She started to twist it between her fingers with a small smile, "Thank you. I've had it for as long as I can remember. I can't remember where I got it from but I can't go a day without wearing it." She shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "When I don't, I feel like I'm missing some big part of me." She lifted her eyes and met his gaze and blushed again. "It's-it's silly, I know."

"No," He protested with a smile, relief flooding him, "It's not silly at all. It probably belonged to someone very important to you."

She hummed quietly, a smile tugging at her lips as she brought her hands to cover her heart. "I like to think so."

_Someone like me..._

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Henry smiling happily, that knowing look in his eyes. Henry's faith in all of them was strong and if Henry believed that they could pull Snow's memories out of Mary then so did he.

Henry's words from just days prior rang through his head.

_"You've got to make her fall in love with you."_

His heart thudded as he stared at her, wondering how he was going to do that. Mary was Snow deep down inside but he feared getting her to fall in love with him would not be as easy as it was the first time. He had to take it one little step at a time and tread carefully. He was married after all and he hardly thought Mary was the type of woman to pursue a married a man.

The first step was to find a way to spend more time with her without raising suspicion from Kathryn. Now that he was no longer in the hospital it'd be harder to find an excuse.

He needed to talk to Henry again, that little boy had more clever plots than he could ever imagine a ten year old to have.

"Something interesting on that wall?" Emma's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he realized he was indeed staring at the blank wall ahead of him. He let out a short laugh and shook his head, smiling at Emma's snark, another reminder that she was indeed her mother's daughter.

"Afraid I just got lost in my thoughts."

"Well, I'm glad we were enough fun for you." She answered, her voice laced with sarcastic amusement.

"Emma...!" Mary chided quietly, her eyes wide as she eyed him cautiously and apologetically.

His heart leapt again as Emma's name left Mary's lips. Snow had talked about Emma countless amount of times while she was still carrying her and the sound of her voice, whimpering her newborn daughter's name with the undying love she felt for her as she was being whisked away from her was forever burned into his memory.

He laughed observing mother and daughter and though they had no clue of their relation, their natural bond was obvious.

"No, its alright. It wasn't your fault though, I find my mind wandering a lot more recently."

"Perhaps its your memories beginning to resurface." Mary suggested, a hopeful tone in her voice.

"It could be." He answered. _Or __perhaps __its __the __memories __I __already __remember __that __I__'__m __trying __to __deal __with..._

"David!" He visibly flinched at the sound of her voice, not going unnoticed by Mary and Emma, and he looked over his shoulder to Catherine who was making her way through the crowd to them.

He had gotten so caught him in the presence of his family he had forgotten that he didn't belong with them. He forced a smile to his lips as she neared and reached out for his arm, "There you are! I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

Behind her he noticed Regina standing in the center of the room, one hand on her hips, her eyes narrowed slightly. He took his eyes off of her and returned them to Catherine.

"I recognized Mary and Emma, thought I'd say hello."

Catherine's eyes flickered over to the other two women and she smiled a tight smile, inching closer to him and slipping her arms around him. "Thank you, so much, both of you for saving his life." Her head fell onto his chest and his body tensed, hoping she didn't feel it. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost him."

Henry's smile faded as he stared at the couple before him, Emma's smile was small but seemed genuine enough but it was Mary's expression that puzzled (and thrilled) him the most.

It was the same look she gave him that first night he woke up after she rescued him. A look of defeat, helplessness and longing. It was a look that said _"__It __should __be __me...__"_

That expression lasted only a couple of seconds before she forced a smile to her lips. "It was no trouble at all." Her eyes flickered to his and she visibly swallowed before looking back to Catherine. "We simply couldn't just let him wander all on his own."

Catherine squeezed him again and if she had looked at him he wouldn't have known. His focus was fully on Mary and her surprising reaction. Perhaps it wouldn't be too hard to get her to fall in love with him after all...

"Are you hungry, David?" Catherine asked suddenly as she released him. "Food is just about to be served."

"Food is being served." Another voice cut in and all eyes turned towards Regina who now had a tray of hors d'oeuvres in her hands. Her eyes caught Henry and the young boy's fading expression grew even colder and he inched closer to Emma's side. Emma's brow furrowed as she glanced down at Henry and Regina's eyes narrowed for a quick second before she returned her gaze to him and Catherine. "Bon Appetit."

He hesitated for a moment before taking one of the toothpicks off the tray and sticking it swiftly into one of the tiny hotdogs on the tray. "Thank you."

He popped the bite sized food into his mouth and ate it awkwardly as Regina stared him down, that dark, penetrating stare that revealed her true form, if not to anyone else, then most certainly to him.

After a few moments of dead silence between the small group, Emma huffed and pushed herself off her chair, swiftly grabbing a tooth pick and jabbing it into the hotdog, glaring at Regina as she drew it away from the tray. "Thank you." She said sardonically

Regina raised a perfect eyebrow, her lips curling in a sneer. "You're welcome."

He glanced between the two women and now saw that the disdain for the women ran in the family. And Emma's dislike for her was well understood, he would have hated to have her raise Emma and to have Henry in her custody...

He shivered and covered it by quickly grabbing another tiny hotdog with his toothpick and popping it in his mouth. Emma, Catherine and Regina were all looking at him now and he shifted his eyes between them all before smiling a closed mouth smile past the food in his mouth.

Regina raised her brow, Catherine smiled and Emma rolled her eyes with a hint of a smirk as Henry giggled in the background.

The child's laughter finally broke the tension that settled heavily over them and they all smiled, fake or real.

"Are you feeling at home yet, David?" Regina asked.

He opened his mouth and glanced over at Catherine who gave him a half smile and then over at Henry who shrugged. "I-ah, well, not yet but I'm sure I will. I think I'll need to find something to do to occupy my time."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, it's a strange house in a strange neighborhood and until I remember it all, I'll have to make something of myself so I don't feel so...lost." He explained.

"Well, if you wanted, I could work something out." Regina offered. "As the mayor I can pull some pretty good strings. The Sheriff is always looking for a new hire."

Suddenly he caught Henry's expression change out of the corner of his eye. His face lit up, his eyes sparkling, a smile tugging at his lips. It was a face he'd come to recognize easily; Henry had an idea and because it was Henry it was sure to be clever. He wondered what it could be until Henry subtly motioned his head to the right and he followed his motion to where Mary sat, leaning forward in her seat, her hands still folded in front of her and smiling the sweetest smile at him.

He found himself getting lost in her eyes, as always. The only thing that kept him grounded in reality was Henry still smiling just beside her. His eyes flickered over to Henry, then back to Mary and then to Henry again. Henry raised his brow pointedly and finally his message clicked in his head.

"Actually," He spoke, returning his gaze to Regina, a small little smirk on his face, "I think I may have thought of something."


	9. Teacher

_**A/n: I stated last chapter that some things I would keep to the show's canon and some things I would not, I will not be following the canon that James is not our Charming and that he was a farm boy, because where as I do love that canon, I did establish some things earlier in this story that was written before that episode aired and it would be too confusing to change it now. So for final clarification, James is our Charming's real name in this story and he was always a royal. Another thing I will not be keeping to the show's canon is Graham's death. This story will remain mostly on Snow and Charming but I will be incorporating a little bit of Graham in there, adding his "I remember" story line. It would be nice for our James to have someone else who remembers who they really are, wouldn't it? And that's all I'm saying on that. Enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

><p>He pushed open the door to Granny's diner, scanned the interior and spotted her in one of the booths, a mug of steaming hot cocoa already in her hands.<p>

A smile spread his lips as he walked over to her and took the seat across from her. She glanced up as he sat and met his smile with a warm one of her own. "Good morning, David."

"Good morning, Mary Margaret." He answered. "Thank you for meeting me."

She waved it off with a shake of her head. "Oh sure, it was not a problem at all. Thank _you_ for volunteering."

"I may not remember much about myself but I do know that I love kids." He truthfully did too. Back home, he always loved going out into town and interacting with all the children, especially once he learned that Snow was with child. Every child he saw was a reminder of the one that'd soon be his and as he grew closer to them all he learned to love them as if they were his own.

"You and Catherine," He was shaken from his memories by Mary's soft voice and as he met her eyes he noticed that the light in them had dimmed just slightly. "You don't have any..."

"No!" He realized how quickly that came out and cleared his throat, shaking his head. "Eh, no, Catherine and I do not have any children."

He made sure to clarify that statement even if she didn't understand his true meaning. He and Catherine didn't have any children, but he did. Not that Emma could be considered a child anymore but never the less she was his daughter, _their_ daughter and she was most certainly not forgotten.

"Well, maybe one day." Mary mused, clutching onto her mug tighter, smiling a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You would be a wonderful father."

His heart suddenly started pounding against his chest. Those words, coming from the mother of his child herself, meant more to him than anything in the world. He remembered those nine months of worry and fear over the safety of their unborn child but he also remembered the joy and love they felt in those peaceful moments where they'd just sit together, both of their hands curled around her, feeling the fluttering movements of their daughter from within.

"Thank you." He muttered quietly past the lump in his throat and he didn't fail to miss the spark of curiosity in her eyes. Before she could question his adverse, over emotional reaction, he impulsively reached out and placed his hand over hers that rested on the mug.

He wasn't sure if it was from her, or from the steaming cup of cocoa, but a jolt of warmth spread throughout his body. He wondered if she felt it too as her eyes suddenly widened and her lips parted slightly.

"And you'd be a wonderful mother." He surprised himself with how low and husky his voice sounded and the rational part of his brain told him to remember that he was not with Snow White, his wife, he was with Mary Margaret who thought somebody else was his wife. But somehow, as always, he was swept away with her.

She stared at him, wide and doe-eyed for a long moment and then slowly drew in her bottom lip between her teeth, the most adorable shade of red flushing her cheeks. She ducked her head, lifting her cocoa to her lips, releasing herself from his light touch.

He sat back with just the tiniest hint of a satisfied smirk on his lips and continued his thought, "You are so great with children, those kids love you."

Her eyes twinkled again in curiosity and she lowered the mug back down to the table. "You've never seen me with them."

"Yes, I have." He replied with a slight nod. "I came to see Henry."

"Ah," Realization spread across her face and she nodded with a smile, "Yes I remember. You escaped from the hospital."

He huffed a laugh. "That place was a prison."

Her smile widened, this time completely reaching her eyes, that same beautiful smile he fell in love with over and over again; and accompanying that smile was a giggle, the sweetest sound in the universe. And then her face and voice softened and she gave him a look that penetrated every inch of his soul. "How are you feeling?"

"Regarding my accident?" She nodded. "I feel great. Dr. Whale said the only thing that was still wrong with me was my amnesia."

"Do you remember anything about your accident?" She wondered.

His eyes widened at the thought and he could feel his chest tightening around the scar that ran down his chest.

"I don't mean to pry!" She hastily added. "If you don't want to talk about it..."

"No...no, its-its fine, I just-" He paused, his eyes falling to the table and visibly winced as he remembered the sharp, overwhelming pain as the sword entered his chest.

"I'm sorry David, I-" Her soothing voice pulled him out of his thoughts and looking at her face he was reminded that they were both still alive, that their daughter was alive, and even though they were trapped in the cursed land, it didn't matter for they were together again.

"It's okay," He relented, his voice soft, "And no, I don't really remember much about it, just the pain."

Mary frowned and released her mug, taking her turn to initiate the contact between them by placing her hand over his and caressing his skin lightly with her thumb. He glanced down at their joined hands and wondered if she was even aware she was doing it. It was a Snow thing to do, there were times when he'd get too stressed, thinking about the curse, thinking about the baby, thinking about his Princely duties and all she had to do was grab a hold of his hand and caress it with her thumb and all of his panic would fade.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers and was met with a comforting, warm smile. The differences between Mary Margaret and Snow White were there but so were the similarities. They both cared with every inch of their heart.

Words, even so much as a simple thank you, would break the tender silence that had fallen over them. His eyes, warm and loving, showed his gratefulness instead.

However, the silence was broken by Mary herself as a look of realization and then what looked like fear and guilt crossed her face and she pulled back, bring her hands to her sides, and clearing her throat.

His smile fell at the loss and he suddenly knew that getting Mary Margaret to give into her feelings for him would not be an easy task.

Any awkwardness that had been beginning to settle around them was suddenly broken by Ruby approaching their table and asking for their order.

He glanced over at the young girl who was currently writing down Mary's order and the longer he stared at her the more familiar she became. She introduced herself as Ruby, she had red streaks in her dark hair, she was dressed in all red...red...

His eyes widened and he suddenly blurted out, "Red?"

Mary and Ruby turned to him in unison, Mary raising her brow curiously and Ruby staring at him like he was insane.

"Red what?" She asked dryly.

He glanced between Mary and Ruby, his mouth opening and closing like a fish and then he finally snapped his jaw shut, shaking his head and waving it off as if to say "never mind."

"Right..." Ruby sighed, exasperated. "Are you getting something?"

"Oh,-" He quickly glanced over to the menu and then turned back to Ruby, "I'll just have whatever she's having."

"Sure thing." She cast him an odd look before shooting a small smile at Mary and then walking away from the table.

He met Mary's eyes with a sheepish smile and she narrowed her eyes inquisitively. He shrugged lightly and then she smiled and reached for the bag that was sitting beside her.

She pulled out a folder, opened it and then slid it over to him, lifting herself out of her seat and leaning over the table to talk to him.

"This is my general schedule." She ran her finger just above the words as she spoke, "Class starts at 9 a.m. every morning, I try to get there at least an hour earlier every day so I can prepare the room for the day, then midday, usually around noon, the children are dismissed for lunch and a short recess and until three they are back with me."

He nodded along with her as she explained. "I try not to do all of the subjects in the same order every day, the kids will get too bored and I always try to incorporate some sort of fun project. Once a month we will do a large project, last months was a bird house, the month before we made clay pots. I'm still trying to think of something for this month so if you have any ideas feel free to tell me, I will be open to almost anything as long as its safe."

She rifled through the papers in the folder, pulling out a decent sized packet of papers. "This is the current curriculum. You're just a volunteer so you won't have to know much about what is being taught though if you wish you can read it to have an understanding of what we'll do each day."

He looked over the large packet quickly, then over the schedule and his eye caught something and he pulled it out of the folder. "A list of the children?"

Mary inched further over the table to get a closer look at the list and she nodded, smiling as she caught the familiar names. "Yes, I thought it'd be easier for you to get to know them. They love to be called by name and having someone other than me call them by name will be a nice change for them, I'm sure."

He shook his head in protest, speaking before his mind could stop him, "Your voice is lovely."

She lifted her eyes from the paper to him and he froze once he realized what he'd said. Slowly, he turned his gaze upwards, meeting her wide eyed look and he was suddenly aware of how very close they were.

His eyes instinctively flickered down to her lips and suddenly, to him, he was not David Nolan and she was not Mary Margaret Blanchard and they were not in a diner. They were James and Snow, huddling close over the fire in the dwarves' cottage, about to share the first kiss of many to come.

He placed his hands flat down on the table and was suddenly lifting himself slowly off the seat. He was just a mere two inches from her mouth, anticipating the feel of her familiar kiss when she suddenly pulled away, collapsing back into her seat with wide, panicked eyes.

She cleared her throat and he was shaken back to reality. She quickly, nervously ran her fingers through her shortened hair and then grabbed hold of her mug and brought it to her, keeping all parts of her body close to her, glancing over at him through her eyelashes, afraid to fully meet his stare.

His heart sunk, as did his shoulders and he slowly fell back into his seat, reaching for the papers in front of him.

Of course Mary would not kiss him, Mary was not Snow and he was supposed to be David Nolan, not James.

No, he realized with a heavy sigh, it would not be an easy task at all.

* * *

><p>Monday morning soon came and after he spent a good ten minutes with Catherine asking him over and over again if he was sure that he was really ready to do this, he left their white house and headed to the school in an old pick up truck that apparently belonged to him.<p>

He arrived just five minutes after he left the house, Storybrooke was a rather small town and headed directly for Mary Margaret's room.

He found the door already open and Mary standing on one of the plastic chairs hanging some colorful decorations from the ceiling. He removed his coat and hung it on the coat rack near the door and shoving his hands into his pockets, strolled over to where she was.

"Need some help?"

She squealed in surprise and wobbled on her feet for a moment and he immediately reached out, grabbing her around the waist to steady her. Her eyes shot down to him and once she was completely steady he released her. She let out a deep sigh and her hand flew to her heart as she stepped off the chair carefully. "David, I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry if I startled you."

"It's fine." She answered with a smile and then moved past him to grab some more of the colored paper off her desk. "I didn't expect you to be here so early." She explained, handing him a few of the decorations.

"You said to be here an hour earlier, so here I am." He answered before grabbing a chair and hoisting himself up to hang the objects.

"I like to be here an hour early, you didn't have to come so early." She responded, now moving to decorate the wall.

"What kind of a volunteer would I be if I didn't help you as much as possible, hm?"

She turned to look over her shoulder with a smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

He responded with a curt nod and flashed her a smile before returning to hanging. He was certainly glad whatever awkwardness that arose between them at the diner had dissipated. The last thing he would have ever wanted with Mary is for her to be uncomfortable around him.

They continued to set up the room, hanging decorations, laying out the kids' first class assignment on their desk, and the like until the kids started to arrive just 25 minutes until nine.

It was no surprise to him at all that Henry was the first to come running into the classroom, nearly knocking over Mary who was standing near the door.

"Henry!" She scolded lightly and Henry came to a halt, throwing a sheepish glance over his shoulder. "What do I say about running?"

"Sorry Ms. Blanchard." He apologized sweetly and she couldn't help but smile at the young boy and then waved him off, preparing to greet the other children.

Henry walked quickly the rest of the way to where he stood at the back of the classroom, fixing something on one the bookshelves.

He greeted the boy with a warm smile and a friendly, "Hello Henry."

"Hey David." He threw a not-so-subtle wink at the older man and he chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. "It's gonna be so great having you here." He quickly looked over his shoulder to Mary who was kneeling down and speaking with one of the girls.

Henry motioned him forward and he leaned down to his level as Henry whispered, "With you here, she's bound to fall in love with you all over again in no time."

A tight smile crossed his lips as he remembered their almost kiss in the diner, it'd be a long journey but Henry was so optimistic, he couldn't let him down. He lightly patted Henry's shoulder as he stood up and Henry smiled at him before running over to his seat.

He continued to stand at the back of the classroom, receiving odd, curious looks from all of Mary's students until the first bell sounded and Mary took the front of the classroom, a wide smile crossing her lips.

"Good morning everybody!"

"Good morning, Ms. Blanchard!" The group of ten year olds chorused happily and that only reaffirmed for him how much they adored her.

"I'm sure all of you have noticed that we have a guest in the room today," Her eyes flickered towards him and he instantly smiled and she held out her hand, welcoming him forward.

He walked towards the front of the classroom, smiling at everybody around him, reminding himself that he was not a prince walking through the local towns, he was an average man volunteering at a public school.

"I would like to introduce Mr. Nolan, he will be with us for a while, to help out."

"Hello Mr. Nolan." The kids chorused again and he smiled as he addressed them.

"Well aren't you all a polite bunch of children, I see Ms. Blanchard has taught you well." Out of the corner of his eye he saw her cheeks flush and his smile widened. "I'm very happy to be here."

Mary very lightly reached out and brushed her hand over his upper arm, caught his eye for a moment, smiled and then returned to talk to the class, instructing them to open their books.

* * *

><p>The next week flew by like hours, every day in the classroom with Henry and Mary was a great joy and he knew that he could spend forever like that. Of course, he still wished that there was a way to return home and have Snow remember who she was, but Henry kept saying that Operation Cobra was at a stand still.<p>

But every day, little by little, he and Mary grew closer. They had no close calls like at the diner and it wasn't so much their romance that grew, but their friendship. Just as with Snow, he found a friend in her before he found the romance.

Every day he'd show up that hour earlier and some day she didn't have much for them to do, so after they would set up the classroom, they'd pull up two chairs, sit side by side and talk and they'd do the same during the kids' lunch hour and the same as they cleaned up for the day. Often times he found them walking back to Mary's apartment even though he drove to school and would have to walk back to school from her apartment to retrieve his truck, though he hardly minded.

She made him laugh and he made her laugh and it was almost as if they were back home, as if they were married again, just enjoying the other's company. He was reminded of how much it wasn't though when Mary would bid him a good evening and send him along his way back to Catherine who waited at home waiting to hear how his day was.

His thoughts for most the day revolved around Mary Margaret and he certainly could not tell her that. He always told her about the kids though and whenever he did, he noticed the beginnings of a twinkle in her eye. He knew that Catherine wanted children but he simply could not bring himself to discuss that specific topic with her. The only woman he wanted children with was the woman with which he already had one. Catherine was growing weary with his lack of memories and quite frankly he was growing weary of everyone else's.

Which led him to his current situation: traipsing around town, looking for cardboard boxes. So far he'd fond a couple but he needed fifteen.

Telling Catherine he needed to take a walk, which was true enough, he started thinking about what Mary said about the once-a-month project she liked to do with her kids. It was nearing the middle of the month and she had not told him what she had planned or even if she did have anything planned so he took it into his own hands.

He had a very brilliant idea, or one he thought was brilliant anyway and one he hoped Mary would like.

"David?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice and whirled around to see not only Mary but Emma standing just several feet away, both with identical, quizzical looks.

Emma eyed the boxes in its hands and the larger one behind him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you and the misses having problems? 'Cuz you know there's an inn just up the road."

"Ah," He shifted the cardboard in his hands, "No...no, its nothing like that. I was actually gathering these for an idea I had for our kids." He glanced at Mary, ignoring the fluttering of his heart at the phrase that left his mouth.

Mary's face lit up and took a few steps closer to him, eyeing the cardboard with wonder. "You thought of something?"

"Yes." He grinned and turned around, throwing the smaller boxes into the larger one and then dragging the larger one towards them. "Castles."

"Castles?"

"Yes, castles." He confirmed. "Every child, male or female, I'm sure at some point in their life has dreamed of being a king or queen. My thought is, we take this cardboard and let them build their own castle and decorate it however they'd like. Because who doesn't like a good fairy-tale?"

"I think you've been talking to Henry too much." Emma commented but Mary only shook her head, a bright smile lighting her face.

"No, no I think that's a wonderful idea. It's sweet." She folded her hands in front of her and met his eyes and added with a light shrug, "Charming."

The second the word left her lips he felt as if the whole world shifted around him. To anyone else it was just a word, a word that meant delightful, full of charm. To him, to _them_, it meant so much more. At first, it was a means of mocking, the start of their friendship. Then, a term of endearment, it was his name.

Before him, he saw his wife, the woman he loved with all his heart and the woman who loved him just the same. His throat was tight, his heart pounded as he whispered an impossible question, "...Snow?"

And for a brief second he could have sworn he saw that familiar twinkle in her eyes.

Then Emma scoffed and Mary broke his gaze turning to look at the blonde beside her.

Emma tightened her jacket around her and looked at the sky. "God, I hope not. I hate the snow." She glanced over at Mary inquisitively. "Does it snow in Storybrooke?"

"It's Maine," She answered, crinkling her nose. "Of course it snows."

Emma groaned, throwing her head back. "I hate this stupid town."

Mary laughed and linked her arm through Emma's. "How about we go home and get some nice hot cocoa?"

This peaked the blonde's interest. "With cinnamon?"

"Of course." Answered Mary with a smile.

Emma nodded. "I'm game." She returned her eyes to him and once again looked over his pile of boxes with a smirk. "Enjoy your hunt."

Mary smiled warmly at him. "I'll see you Monday, I'd love to help you plan this."

He gave a short, quiet nod and watched as the two women walked off together towards their shared apartment. His eyes shot down to the boxes, then back to the retreating form of Mary and he quickly shook his head, running a hand over his face.

He lifted the large box into his arms and continued on his search.


	10. Truth pt1

_**A/N: This is a long one and is important too. I hope it came out as realistic as it sounded in my head.**_

* * *

><p>A soft but incessant knocking came to his door one evening. He had just gotten home from the school about an hour ago and found a note from Catherine saying she'd be out for most of the evening. That gave him a couple of hours by himself to really focus on his thoughts and his plans for getting Snow to remember.<p>

He and Mary bonded as he went over his plans for building the castles and the more he explained the more she seemed to love it and she suggested that they build a castle of their own to make a model for the kids which he, of course, agreed to immediately. He could sense Mary's affections growing for him with each passing day but he also sensed her hesitance.

He was technically married to Catherine and if she were to pursue her feelings she'd be partaking in an affair and he knew that she'd never feel right about doing such a thing nor would he want her to. And that was the fault in their plan, perhaps it would be easy to get her to fall in love him but it would not be easy to get her to act on it especially with his marriage that was not really a marriage.

He'd have to break his marriage to Catherine, not only for the sake of breaking the curse, but to do right for both Catherine and Mary. He knew without a doubt that he would never get his memories as David and to string Catherine along as he had been doing, making her believe that someday he would, it was against his nature. He was a prince and as such he had to make the right decisions for the sake of everyone around him, no matter how terrifying it may be, and with Catherine's friendship to the mayor, it certainly was.

Those were his thoughts when the knocking came and interrupted him. His heart leapt for a moment, wondering who could be so urgently knocking on his door. He quickly made his way through the house and pulled the door open, a bit shocked to find Henry standing at his doorstep, his book clutched in his arms.

"Can I come in?" The ten year old asked bouncing on his heels in excitement.

"Of-of course." He moved aside to let Henry pass through and then closed the door behind him.

He turned to face Henry completely. "Does your mother know you're here?"

Henry shook his head with a shrug. "She wasn't there when I got home and she won't be for a while." He walked into the living room directly to his right and hopped onto the couch, opening the book over his lap.

"Henry..." He followed in after him. "You shouldn't just leave your house like that especially if your mother doesn't know where you are."

"I'll be home before she does, she'll never know I was gone." Henry countered.

"Henry." His voice lowered and he amazed himself at how fatherly he sounded and for a brief moment he found his mind wandering to a time that could have been. A time where they still lived amongst castles and kingdoms, a time where a little girl with soft, blonde hair and her mother's spunk would find herself in a mess and he'd be there as the stern but oh so loving father and after a few tears she'd hug him and he'd kiss her forehead and she'd go running off again.

"It's about Operation Cobra." Henry explained, his insistent voice breaking him out of his thoughts. "It's important!"

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair and then nodding and taking a seat beside him. "Alright Henry, what's so important?"

Henry smiled and pointed at the page opened up in front of him. He cast a look down and examined the picture Henry was pointing at and then at the words in the story next to it. "The huntsman?" He had never met the queen's huntsman personally but he remembered Snow telling him that he had spared her life.

"He's the sheriff." Henry grinned. "And he's starting to remember."

The sheriff...

He remembered briefly meeting the sheriff while he was still in the hospital. He was a nice, friendly man who seemed generally concerned for his well being which would hold true to Snow's tale of the huntsman mercy and kindheartedness.

"How do you know he's starting to remember?"

"He was just at my house, he wanted to see the book because he was having flashes."

"Flashes of memory." He realized.

"Yes." Henry nodded. "He said he saw a wolf and... he saw Snow White."

His brow shot up. "He saw Snow? He remembers sparing her?"

Henry's face scrunched up. "He remembers seeing her face and he remembers holding a knife to her but not anything else...not yet but he's searching."

"Searching for what?"

"Answers." He turned the page over and pointed to the picture of the queen standing in front of her vault. "He recognized that symbol, I think he's going to try and find it."

"What is it? What does it mean?"

"It's her vault." He explained, turning a solemn look on the prince. "It's where his heart is."

"His heart?" He slid the book onto his lap and quickly read over the passage, his heart clenching with every word. He didn't know the man but he'd spared his wife's life and he'd forever be grateful to him and care for him. Snow mentioned that she knew the queen would punish the huntsman for sparing her but she knew not what it was and he was sure whatever she imagined it was not as horrible as the reality. The huntsman lived without his heart, a feat not many could do, but doomed under the wicked magic of the evil Queen for the rest of his life.

"The wolf is going to lead him to it." Henry went on. "If he finds it...we could be one step closer to breaking the curse."

"Did he say how his memories started to come back?" He thought he was the only one to remember because he laid in a coma for twenty eight years as the rest of Storybrooke became their fake identities and as soon as he awoke he was thrust into remembering his true past by reading Henry's book and by his own dreams. But if someone else was starting to remember there certainly had to be some sort of method to restart those memories, something he could possibly use on Mary.

It was Henry's expression that completely through him. The little boy looked partly disgusted yet somehow gleeful.

"He kissed my mom."

"The queen?"

Henry's nose scrunched up. "No...! Emma!"

"He kissed Emma." He let the words roll around his head. As he thought about it he realized that it made sense because of Emma's connection between both the worlds. She was the one destined to come and break the curse and as such, the closer she got to the people of Storybrooke the more likely they were to remember as the curse weakened and he was certainly relieved that prophecy was beginning to come true. However, the words also brought another feeling. Whether Emma was a grown woman with a child of her own or not, he could only picture Emma as the small little baby in his arms and the thought of anyone _kissing_ her sent his paternal instincts running.

He felt a small hand over his and his eyes flickered to Henry's who seemed to share in distaste, staring up at him with a small smile.

He swiftly moved his hand to cover Henry's and patted the boy's hand, returning his smile, trying to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.

"So it would seem Emma is the key to unlocking people's memories."

Henry pursed his lips. "I don't think it would work for everybody."

"Why not?"

"Well, the Sheriff and Emma have a special connection because of what he did for Snow White."

Realization dawned on him. "He spared Snow's life and if he hadn't..."

"...Emma wouldn't have been born." Henry finished with a nod.

He nodded slowly in understanding. "Yes, that makes sense."

"So I was thinking maybe you could talk to him, you know 'cause you remember too."

He did like the thought of having somebody else remember who they are. He was a stranger in this world and though his friends surrounded him he was alone with his memories. And having someone like the huntsman, with instincts of the wolf, and such a strong connection to his family on his side would be beneficial. If the huntsman was able to find his heart he'd break the power that the queen had over him and therefore weaken the magic that is holding them there.

He squeezed the boy's smaller hand in his and flashed him a smile. "Of course I will Henry."

A slow smile spread across Henry's face, his brown eyes twinkling in delight. A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as he reached out and tussled Henry's brown locks. It was something between them now, an affectionate action that he took to show how much he adored his grandson without actually having to say anything.

They're moment of silent bonding was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door and both of their heads whipped towards the sound. Henry's eyes widened and flickered back to him and he didn't have to read his mind to know who he was thinking was outside the door.

His hand slipped down to Henry's shoulder and he squeezed his shoulder lightly before raising from the couch and heading towards the door. Inhaling sharply, preparing himself for any lashing the queen might dish out, he pulled open the door.

However standing outside was not the soulless queen but the beautiful blonde that was his daughter. Her eyes were wide and frantic as she looked quickly over his shoulder before looking back up to his face, "Please tell me Henry is here."

Henry, at hearing the sound of his birth mother's voice, scampered out of the living room to stand at his grandfather's side, smiling brightly at her.

She sighed in relief and dropped to his eye level. "Henry..." She breathed and her face quickly changed from relieved to exasperated. "Your mother is looking for you everywhere. She came to the station blaming me for your disappearance."

Henry's smile faded. "Did you tell her I was here?"

"I told her I didn't know where you were which was true enough. I sort of had a feeling you'd be here..." She trailed a look back up at him.

A smile, half sheepish, half proud, crossed his lips. He could see so much of Snow in Emma and it only made him love both of them more. "I had no idea he was coming here, Emma."

A smirk tugged at her lips. "I know." She rose to her full height but glanced back down at Henry. "Come on kid, we should get you home before your mom blows something up."

"Okay." Henry sighed dejectedly much to the adults' bemusement and quickly glanced up at him. "Remember- talk to him."

He nodded with a smile, ruffling his hair once more before Henry took off past Emma towards her yellow bug.

Emma watched him go and then turned to him, her eyebrow raised inquisitively. "Talk to who?"

He opened his mouth, inhaling to speak and then quickly glancing over her shoulder to Henry waiting by the car. He knew Emma was a part of Operation COBRA but he sensed that she didn't believe as much as Henry let on.

He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before answering, "The Sheriff."

As soon as the words left his mouth he noticed Emma's body deflate, the inquisitive smirk vanishing from her lips and her eyes growing cold. Her reaction was odd, given her new job as deputy, and stirred up his paternal instincts.

"Why does Henry want you to talk to Graham?" The name practically left her lips in a hiss and he wondered what the good Sheriff could have done to upset her so.

"I-ah...well-"

"You know what," Emma threw her hands in the air, "I don't wanna know. Whatever he does and you do is all your business."

His chest tightened at the bitterness and spite in her voice. Whatever he'd done to her must have really hurt her...

And then suddenly, he remembered. _"He kissed my mom." _

His eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed. However good his intentions, that man kissed his baby girl against her will and put that look upon her pretty face. One thing was for certain...he'd definitely be having a word with him.

He noticed Emma staring at him, her brow raised, a perplexed look on her face and he instantly relaxed his face and curled his lips in a smile.

Emma narrowed her eyes for a moment and then shook her head and sighed. "Anyway, thank you, again, for taking care of Henry."

"You don't have to thank me Emma."

"I do." She countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because..." She sighed. "Because Henry doesn't have a father." She rolled her eyes with a small shake of her head. "His real father is...well, he doesn't even know he exists and Lord knows if Regina will ever get hitched."

He felt that tightening in his chest again, he hated the thought of anyone hurting her and wished he knew who it was. He'd make sure that it was understood that no one hurt his daughter and got away with it.

"I know how it feels..." Emma continued, her voice more hesitant. "To not have a father, not one that loves me anyway."

His breath caught in his throat as he fully met her eyes, his heart sinking. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and let her know that she was loved, that he was her father and he had always loved her and he always would. He cursed the queen with every fiber of his being for taking her away from him, from both him and Snow for twenty eight years, for giving his sweet baby a life she did not deserve.

"Emma-" His voice was thick.

"It's alright." She responded quickly with a non-chalant shrug, turning her eyes to the ground so they wouldn't betray her. "I've always just wanted the best for Henry. I want him to have a father and I'm not asking you to be that for him because that would be way out of line but you seem to be that figure in his life and I'm glad he has someone like that. Someone that I never had."

He swallowed thickly, his lips slightly parted, words failing him. He knew deep down that it was the queen's fault but he couldn't help but feel an immense guilt in the pit of his stomach. He should have been there for her, he should have been the father he was meant to be for her.

Emma's eyes widened suddenly and she quickly dropped her hands to her side, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "I-I don't know why I just told you all of that. I'm sorry...I just..." She paused, closing her eyes for a moment. "I should take Henry home." She gave him a small, forced smile and then shuffled off the steps.

She was halfway down the path when he called out to her, "Emma!"

She whirled around, staring back at him expectantly. He made his way down the steps and approached her quickly and the curiosity on her face only grew.

He looked quickly over to Henry who was looking back at him, question written on his face and with his heart pounding in his chest, he looked back at Emma.

"Do you know who I am?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You're...David Nolan."

"No," He shook his head, catching Henry's widened eyes out of the corner of his eye, "Do you know who I am to Henry?"

Emma's eyes narrowed for a moment and then a hint of a smile crossed her lips and she shot a look over her shoulder to Henry who was staring at them with an open mouth. She scoffed and turned back to him, "You're Prince Charming."

"Yes." He agreed quickly. "And who is he to you?"

Emma's brow furrowed and she blinked, momentarily side winded by his sudden question and she once again looked back at Henry who was now desperately clutching to his book. Her eyes fell upon the large book in his hands and she slowly looked back at him, swallowing thickly before answering, "My-my father."

"Yes." He whispered, keeping his eyes locked on hers and taking another step towards her. She immediately took a step back, eyeing him warily.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Emma," He quickly looked around, surveying the quiet town looking for any sign of Regina. He found none but lowered his voice anyway, staring intently into her frightened, confused eyes. "It's true, it's all true."

"What?" She whispered back, her entire body tensing up in shock.

"I know its hard for you to fully grasp, its not exactly a common situation but Henry's book...its true, Emma. I'm not David Nolan, there is no David Nolan. My name is James, I am a prince and I am your father."

The expression of Emma's face was nothing like anything he'd ever seen on anyone before. A mix of terror, confusion and maybe even the slightest bit of hope spread across every inch of her face. Her eyes slowly travelled over him, looking down at his feet and then back up to his face where a small, hesitant but warm and loving smile lay on his lips. She met his eyes for a moment and then gasped sharply and stumbled back on her feet, her chest starting to heave quickly. "I-I-I-I have to go."

She spun around quickly and started to march towards her car. He didn't try to stop her, he knew that she needed time to soak in all of the information. It was one thing to be told by a ten year old that your father was Prince Charming but to be told by the man himself was another thing all together.

Emma practically jumped into her little yellow car, slamming the door behind her and Henry jumped, meeting his eyes across the yard and then quickly slithering into the passenger seat.

The car started with a growl and soon she was tearing away from the side of the road and heading no doubt towards the mayor's.

He sighed quietly watching the car disappear down the road and began to wonder if he made the right choice. It was an impulse to tell her the truth and his impulses had never led him astray before.

With one last look down the road, he turned and walked back into the house.

* * *

><p>It was almost two hours later when there was another knock on his door. Catherine was home by then and the couple had just finished another one of their many awkward dinners. His mind was on nothing but Emma and the events that transpired in the yard just before and though Catherine tried to converse with him he was distant and barely responded to her.<p>

He only noticed her frustration when she practically grabbed his plate out from under his nose and marched over to the sink, tossing it into the sink with a loud clang. His nature prevented him from being rude and he asked her if she'd like any help with the dishes. Her response was simply an annoyed glare and a cold, "No thank you."

He didn't want to argue with her that night, though he knew it had to be coming soon, so he simply retreated out of the kitchen and into one of the back rooms to think.

He'd heard the frantic knock faintly through the walls and poked his head out the door to see who it was. He saw Catherine heading to the front door and for a brief horrifying moment thought it would be the queen. Perhaps Catherine had called her over to talk, perhaps she'd encountered Emma, perhaps Henry had told her where'd he'd been.

Catherine pulled the door open halfway and from where he was he couldn't quite see who was on the other side. And then the name escaped Catherine's lips in surprise, "Emma?"

His breath caught and he moved out of the room into the hallway, slowly taking a few steps towards the front door.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you." Emma's voice was frantic and he could hear the faint shaking in her tone.

"Is something the matter?" Catherine asked. "You look-awful."

He heard Emma scoff quietly. "I need to see...to see David."

"Oh." Catherine's voice hitched in surprise and she looked over her shoulder, her brow raising as she saw him standing in the middle of the hallway watching them with anticipation.

She pulled the door open fully and Emma came into view. The young woman was definitely frazzled, her blonde hair was a mess, her eyes were wide and panicked and as they fell on him they only grew wider, and tightly clutched in her hand was some white cloth.

Emma quickly glanced at Catherine and then made her way into the house, approaching him with hesitance. She paused just about a foot in front of him and the two stared at each other for a long moment in silence before Emma let out a breath. "Can we talk?"

"Of course." He dared a look over to Catherine, who was still standing by the open door, watching them in suspicion. He shot her a small smile and then ushered Emma into the room and followed in after her, closing the door behind him.

Emma stood with her back facing him, her shoulders tense and in the stillness of the air he could hear the soft pants of her heavy breath. He heard her take a deep breath and she turned around to face him, holding the cloth into the air with one hand, "Do you recognize this?"

His brow furrowed as he slowly walked over to her, taking the cloth out of her hands and into his own. He soon realized that it was not a cloth at all but a blanket, a small white blanket with Emma's name stitched in. A wistful smile played at his lips as he ran his fingers across the soft material, remembering it all too well. "Your mother made this." He answered quietly, never looking up from the blanket. "She wanted to make you something with her own two hands, something you could treasure for all of your life. She worked on it almost every day." His fingertips lightly traced the purple stitching of her name. "She was so certain you were a girl." He slowly lifted his head and met her eyes from across the room. She still look terrified but there was a beginning of realization in her eyes. "You kept this?"

She nodded shortly. "They found me in it." She answered, a soft croak in her voice. "It was only thing I had...the only thing that truly belonged to me..."

He smiled and extended it back out to her and she reached out to take it from him, her fingers brushing his as she retrieved it. She glanced up at him quickly and never releasing his gaze brought the blanket to rest against her chest over her heart.

"So..." She began after another long moment of silence, clearing her throat and pushing the loose strands of hair out of her face, "You're really my dad."

"I am." He confirmed.

She let out a half laugh and ran her fingers through her hair. "This is insane. I mean-you look old enough to be my brother."

"I know." He nodded with a hint of a smile, taking a careful step towards her and at seeing no response from her, continued to slowly make his way across the room. "It was hard for me too, Emma. To see you," he motioned to her full height, "like this. The last time I saw you you were..." He paused, a small, sad smile tugging at his lips as his eyes focused on the blanket in her hands, "you were all wrapped up in that blanket and when I held you...you were so small."

He lifted his head and was taken aback by the sudden gloss in her eyes and even more so by the familiar sting at the back of his.

Her jaw was tight and she swallowed before asking, "What happened?" She whispered, her head shaking lightly. "I read the book but..."

He sighed quietly, a frown marring his features as he remembered that dreadful night. "Your mother was supposed to go through while she was still carrying you so you'd both be safe but you came earlier than expected. We tried...Snow tried to hold you back but you were persistent. You arrived just as the curse was beginning to fall on us and I thought we were doomed under the curse forever but your mother, oh Emma, you're so much like your mother, she needed to save you, she needed to give you your best chance."

Emma's eyes widened for a moment and then her face softened, obviously trying to fight off the tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

"I took you to the wardrobe," he continued, "the queen's men had already infiltrated the castle but I had to get you there. I fought them off, with you safely tucked in my arm, and then placed you inside the wardrobe where you were safe." He gently placed his hand over his abdomen where his healing scar rested. "I was sure I was going to die but I knew you were safe and that was enough."

Emma's lips parted but no words left her lips and he could practically hear her thoughts running a thousand miles an hour through her head. She let out a long, steady breath and with a small shake of her head lowered herself down to the small leather couch behind her. She buried her face in her hands and tucked herself down into her knees.

He watched her silently as she no doubt tried to compose herself and make sense of all the information she had just received.

She remained in that position for a good minute or two and then slowly lifted herself back up into a normal seated position. As she looked over at him he noticed her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears and her jaw was tense again but there was just the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips as she nodded and he knew that was her way of acknowledging the truth.

With a smile of his own he made his way over to her and took a seat beside her, leaving a little space in-between them as to not make her feel uncomfortable.

"So," She breathed, leaning back up against the couch and turning her head to look at him, "if you're really my father, that means Mary Margaret..."

"...is your mother, yes."

She pursed her lips and continued to nod her head. "Awesome."

A small huff of laughter left his lips and he daringly reached out and rested his hand over hers that rested lightly over her knee. Her face fell almost immediately as she stared down at their hands and he almost withdrew but she surprised him instead by wrapping her thumb around his pinky and giving a little squeeze. They met each other's eyes and slowly but surely the smile returned to her face.

"Did Henry know that you remembered or did you drop the bomb shell on him too?"

He chuckled softly. There was Snow's spunk once again. "I'm sorry."

"That doesn't answer my question."

He didn't even try to hide the smile on his face. "Yes, Henry knew. He helped me remember."

"It does explain why he always was hanging around you." She mused.

"He's a good kid, Emma." He squeezed her hand lightly. "You should be proud."

Emma gave a tight lipped smile and whispered a thank you. He nodded back to her with a warm smile and she stared at him silently for a few long moments. He noticed her eyes flickering back and forth quickly, and the slightest furrow of her brow and before he had time to wonder any further she was suddenly throwing herself against him.

He threw his arm out against the couch to steady himself from the impact of her weight and once he got over the shock, slipped both of his arms around her. He noticed then that both her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist as she buried her face against his chest.

"Emma?" He whispered against her hair.

She breathed heavily in silence and then hesitantly, with a vulnerability he'd never heard from her before, she began to speak, "All of my life I wondered why, why my parents gave me up, why they didn't love me enough, why they left me on a freeway. I told myself they had to be some sort of criminals or drug addicts or something, people who were careless and didn't have the heart to raise me. But still I wondered what they were like, what it would feel like to fall asleep to my mother's voice, to be wrapped in my father's strong arms. And then I imagined what would happen if I ever did find them, if I would hate them, if I would tell them just how much they messed up my life and then leave them with that guilt for the rest of their lives."

He tensed beneath her, his eyes stinging with tears, his heart heavy and pounding against his chest. He knew sending her through that wardrobe was the right thing to do but it still hurt to know what it had done to her life.

"I never imagined it'd come down to this. My son finding me, bringing me back to this stupid town that was under a curse, and finding my parents, finding out the truth..." He could hear her voice starting to crack and his arms immediately tightened around her as he buried his nose into her hair. "Henry said that you gave me up for the same reason I gave him up, to give me my best chance and I thought it was a whole load of crap. Part of me still doesn't want to believe it because its too insane to be actually real but I know it has to be because..." She paused, her voice breaking, "...because here, with Henry, with you, I feel like I belong."

"Oh my Emma." He pressed a longing, loving kiss to the crown of her head, brushing his fingers through her blonde waves. "I'm so sorry that you had such a miserable life, I want nothing more than for this to be all just a terrible nightmare and wake up back home and raise you as you should have been, with a family that loves you. Because we do, Emma. Your mother doesn't remember who she is right now but I know if she did she'd say the same...I love you, Emma." Emma took a shuddering breath against him and he kissed her head, drawing her in closer as he felt warm tears moistening his neck. "My sweet girl, I have loved you since before you were born and I will love you forever."

Twenty eight years worth of heart break and loneliness were all suddenly released and Emma's body shook with sobs as she clutched onto her father in desperation.

He could do nothing but hold her as she cried, closing his eyes and letting himself go in the embrace of his daughter. He cried the moment she was born and he cried now, for all the years that were lost between them, and for the overwhelming love he felt for her.

It seemed like hours that the two remained on that couch, crying together in their reunion. It took a while for Emma to calm down, for her sobs to subside and finally for her body to cease its quivering and now she still lay with her head tucked under his chin, breathing calmly and deeply and he almost thought she fell asleep.

She suddenly cleared her throat and pushed herself away from him, avoiding his eyes and wiping furiously at her heavily tear stained cheeks. He smiled sympathetically and reached out his hands, brushing hers away from her face and cupping her face in his hands and wiping away her tears. She sighed in what sounded like annoyance but then she opened his eyes, met his and her lips twitched at the sight of him before her. She hesitated with her hands in the air for a moment before reaching out with her knuckles and wiping away the moisture from underneath his eyes. "So Prince Charming is a sap, huh?"

He cast a look at her, trying his best to look offended but the joyous smile on her face prevented him from looking anything but delighted.

"When it comes to the women I love, yes I am."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "Sappy and corny, you really are a living fairy tale."

He laughed and she continued to smile and he cupped her cheek again, his eyes twinkling down at her with love, "You're so beautiful, Emma. Your smile is so much like your mother's."

Emma's smile grew almost shy, as if she was unsure of how to take a compliment. She cleared her throat and he dropped his hand to his lap, not wanting to push her any further.

She slowly rose to her feet, picking up her blanket off the floor which had fallen in their hasty hug and he followed in her lead.

"Speaking of, I should probably get home. I kind of left there in a hurry, I'm sure she's wondering what the hell I was doing." She sighed heavily, her face scrunching up.

"What is it?"

"Before Mary was just a roommate, now she's my mother," She shook her head, "It is going to be one weird night."

He smiled and chuckled lightly and she shot a look up at him. "I'm glad you're finding amusement out of this."

His smile only widened and he took a step towards her gathering her in his arms once more. She tensed for a second and then relaxed against him, breathing out in contentment as she fell against his chest.

The hug was short and ended as he pulled away with a kiss to her forehead. She smiled warmly up at him and he threw a subtle wink back. She scoffed and rolled her eyes singing, "Corny" under her breath as she moved towards the door.

His laughter filled the room as he followed behind her. She pulled the door open and before stepping fully into the hallway looked over her shoulder and shot him a small but sweet smile. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment in silence and then concluded with a whisper, "...goodnight Dad."

His heart swelled in his chest at the words. _Goodnight Dad._ Simple words really, words that were probably spoken by every child over a thousand times but to him, they were the most wonderful words in the world.

"Goodnight Emma." He whispered back with a smile and she bit her lip for a moment before walking completely out of the room.

She only came to a halt when Catherine popped her out of the kitchen. Father and daughter alike both forgot that the other blonde was even alive and they stared at her like deer in headlights. Catherine took in the sight of the pair, both of their eyes red and puffy, their cheeks tear stained and her eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare.

Emma cleared her throat, fidgeting awkwardly against Catherine's stare, threw a knowing look over her shoulder to her father and then slithered past Catherine towards the front door. She muttered a quick goodbye to both him and Catherine and then bolted out of the door, leaving the two alone.

He swallowed over the lump in his throat and daringly met Catherine's gaze from across the hall. She had now fully stepped out of the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes still narrowed.

He clenched his jaw and sighed heavily. It was going to be a long night...


	11. Truth pt2

_**A/n: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! I got some requests to continue with Graham's story this chapter however I have been planning this one for a long time and was too excited to put it off. Graham will definitely be in the next chapter though! Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>A heavy silence hung in the air around them. He wasn't sure if Catherine was trying to formulate some sort of speech in her head or if she was waiting for him to explain. If it was the latter option he didn't know what he would say. He very well couldn't tell her that the blonde woman who just left was his daughter and yet any other excuse he tried to make would seem fake.<p>

He cleared his throat lightly and bravely took a step towards her, holding his hands out in front of him as if approaching a wild animal. "Catherine..."

Catherine's hand flew into the air to stop him. "I just want to know one thing, David." Her voice was steady but crisp as ice.

He gave her an encouraging nod, keeping silent.

"Why wasn't I good enough?"

Her broken voice tightened his chest. He felt no sort of romantic attraction to the woman standing before him but he certainly in some aspect did care for her. He opened his mouth to reply but she was quick to cut him off.

"What..." Her voice was lower now and it sent a chill down his spine, he could hear the anger and bitterness bubbling up in her throat and he prepared himself for the worst, "..what did I do to scare you off into the arms of other women?"

And just like that he knew why she was so angry and his eyes widened at the implications. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Don't play stupid with me, David." She snapped. "I know exactly why you wanted that job at the elementary school and I'm not blind to the way you look at her and the way she looks at you. I have to notice the way you come home every day raving all about _Mary Margaret_ and yet when it comes to me, when we need to talk about _us_, you deflate as if its such a horrible thing. And-and-and now, _her,_" She pointed harshly to the closed door that Emma disappeared out of just minutes ago, and his body tenses at the hostility towards his daughter, "She comes in here and you disappear in that room for way too long and both come out crying. I have _never_ seen you cry, David. And now you're opening up to this strange woman who you just met, telling her God knows what and _doing_ God knows what."

His brow lifted, his stomach churning at the thought of doing anything of the sort with Emma. "Catherine, as strange as this all looks, I assure you it is not what you think."

The blonde rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Then tell me, David. What is it?"

He shifted uncomfortably under her hard, penetrating glare and also with the search to find the right words. The truth would certainly not do nor any variation of the truth. He would have to flat out lie, which to be honest was not much different from what he'd been doing the last few weeks, but he didn't know how much longer he could entertain that lie.

Catherine scoffed, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Just as I thought."

He could start to feel a defense growing inside. Of course, it was his own fault that Catherine didn't know the truth about Emma, nor could she ever know, but he prided himself on being a trustworthy man and though her anger was directed at David and not James he felt offended of her accusations. "Emma came to me in confidence with something very important to her and I will not betray her trust by revealing to you what our meeting was for. But I can assure you that anything you perceived it to be is wrong. I would not betray you either, Catherine. Not with Mary Margaret, not with Emma, not with anyone." He let out a heavy sigh and turned to face the wall, avoiding her gaze. "But I have been unfair to you." He admitted.

He could feel Catherine's cold stare against his back though she made not a sound in reply.

"I...I don't feel anything with you Catherine, not like how you feel for me and it was wrong of me to ever give you false hope." He twisted his head to glance over to her to see her arms now relaxed at her side, her jaw tensed and her eyes glistening.

He turned to face her completely and took a few steps closer. "Perhaps what we had once was wonderful. Those pictures you've showed me...it must have been but things have changed, Catherine. I may go by David Nolan but I don't know who he is and who I am...doesn't...belong here."

Catherine let out a shuddering breath, her anger melting away to hurt and desperation as she walked towards him. "It's only been a couple weeks, David." She whispered. "Dr. Whale said it-it could take months-!"

He shook his head. "He also said it could never come back at all." He reasoned and her shoulders dropped as a deep frown formed her lips.

"If I stay..." He paused for a moment. "Can you honestly say that you're happy now? Happy with this?" He motioned between them.

Catherine bit down softly on her lip, her eyes starting to settle into defeat but her resolve staying strong. "We can be."

"No." He answered with a small shake of his head. "We can't...I'm sorry, Catherine but we can't."

Her jaw quivered for a moment and her hand flew to cover her mouth as she turned her back to him, closing her eyes tightly.

He stood in silence for a few moments, watching her slowly crumble before him and then carefully reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're a wonderful, beautiful woman Catherine and you deserve to be loved and you deserve to be happy and I can't do that for you anymore."

Catherine remained still, her hand remaining over her mouth, her eyes closed tightly and a heart broken tear rolled down her cheek. Then with a deep, controlled breath she lowered her hand to her chest and brought the other one with it, no doubt in a way to keep herself together.

"I guess I knew this was coming..." She muttered dejectedly, opening her eyes but staring only at the tiled floor below. "I just didn't want to admit it." She tightened her arms around her, shaking her head lightly, her voice cracking as she told him, "I really loved you, David."

"I know." He drew her, if a bit awkwardly, into his arms and her shoulders shook lightly with a small sob. "But one day you will find a man that will love you more than I ever could and man who you love more than you ever thought possible." He dropped a soft, innocent kiss to the crown of her head. "There is somebody out there waiting for you and the two of you will-"

"-live happily ever after?" She concluded a bit sardonically, removing herself from his arms and he clearly saw her friendship with Regina.

"Yes." He answered with a soft smile. "Happy endings do exist, Catherine, no matter what the world tells you but you've got to find them and make them."

"And what if you were my happy ending?" She retorted.

"I'm not." He replied swiftly. "Love manifests itself in all different types of ways and maybe you loved me and maybe I loved you but the strongest love, the truest love, you not only feel in your heart," He placed his hand over his heart and sighed wistfully, images of Snow's beautiful smile appearing behind his eyes, "You feel it in your soul."

"And you've found it." It was not a question and the certainty in her voice shook him.

"I beg your pardon?"

Her eyes twitched and then her lips curled up in a bitter yet accepting smile. "As I mentioned before David, I'm not stupid or blind. You found that love with someone and its not me."

He almost began to protest but soon realized that it would have been in vain. Catherine knew the truth, as much truth as she could know, and there was no denying it.

"I have." He admitted quietly.

She swallowed with a nod, blinking rapidly to push away the tears brimming at her eyes. "Well then...I wish you two the best."

"Catherine, I-"

She held up her hand and shook her head. "Don't David, just...don't." A small, forced smile made its way to her lips and then without another word she brushed past him and disappeared out of the kitchen.

Watching as her form disappeared out of his view he couldn't help but feel sorrowful for her and the heartbreak she would endure but then...there was just relief. One of the obstacles keeping him from Snow was Catherine and now he had finally ended it and just as he had once he ended his engagement with Abigail, he only had one thing on his mind. Finding _her._

* * *

><p>He arrived in front of Granny's inn almost a half hour later. Catherine had disappeared into her room, grieving the loss of her marriage, allowing him the time to pack up a few of his necessary belongings. He didn't really have much, none that belonged to him truly, all of it was superficial belongings that were supposed to have some meaning to David Nolan. After packing just one small bag with clothes and various other little belongings he headed out of the Nolan house that never truly felt like a home.<p>

He only paused for a moment at the edge of the sidewalk to look back at the white house. Though it held no real sentimental value for him it did house him for a few weeks and he'd be forever grateful for that. Then, with a quick wish of good will towards Catherine, he set off with no regrets.

He pushed open the old door and the small bell jingled alerting his presence. He heard the shuffling of feet from down a nearby hallway and soon she appeared, her sweet, old wise eyes widened in surprise and lit up in glee.

As soon as she came into his sights, his breath caught. She was just as he remembered her, the wonderful Granny, one of his dearest friends. He remembered how ecstatic she was when he and Snow announced their pregnancy and how she enveloped them both in a warm hug, positively gushing about their upcoming arrival. He remembered watching she and Snow sit together around the fireplace, both knitting, Snow with Emma's blanket and Granny with one of her own. He remembered her sitting with Snow, comforting her when dreadful thoughts of the curse plagued her emotional mind. He remembered her coming into see him just hours before their wedding and smacking him lightly on the wrist, threatening ever so lovingly that if he didn't take care of Snow, he'd hear it from her. He assured her there never would be a need for that and she smiled and hugged him, wishing him the best. He remembered that she was the closest thing that Snow ever had to a loving mother and for that she would always have a place in his heart.

"Mr. Nolan!" She greeted kindly. "What can I do for you?"

He shook himself out of his memories and reminded himself to be David and smiled softly as he approached the counter.

"I'd ah, like a room please."

Her smile faltered for a moment but she did not ask the question that lay on her tongue. "Yes, of course, for how long?"

His smile tightened and he rubbed the back of his neck and the wise old woman's face fell considerably and he knew she knew the answer before he said it. "Indefinitely if possible."

"Everything alright, dear?" She asked, her voice warm and tender.

"My wife and I decided to part ways." He explained and a soft gasp escaped her lips.

"Oh, my dear boy, I am so sorry." She reached out and gently covered his hand with her own, her compassion shining in her eyes.

"No its alright." He assured her with a smile, turning his hand over to pat hers and let out a soft sigh. "It was the right thing to do."

"Still, it must not be easy especially because of your accident."

The scars on his chest and abdomen stung at the word but he shrugged off the brief pain and only gave a curt nod.

"Don't you worry about a thing, dear." She cooed, shuffling over to where the keys lay and scanned the rack, eventually picking one off and handing it to him. "This is the room with the best view, its just up the stairs, last one on the right."

"Thank you." He smiled and curled the key into his palm, shifting the bag over his shoulder and heading towards the stairs. The old steps creaked under his weight as he made his way up and continued down the hallway until he found his room. He fit the key into the lock, opened the door and flipped on the lights. As he looked around he found it was not only the room with the best view but was surely the nicest room in the inn itself and he smiled, thanking Granny for her graciousness.

He placed his bag down on the bed and headed immediately toward the window. Granny's place was on the edge of town and from where he stood he could barely see the buildings over the trees. Still, he looked in the direction of the elementary school, looking forward to tomorrow, which he hoped would bring the start of a new life.

* * *

><p>He stepped into the school building that morning with a smile. He'd gotten the best sleep yet in that hotel room. Though the bed was not nearly as comfortable as the one he had at the Nolan house, the environment was more comfortable, he felt at ease knowing his dear friend was watching over him even if she knew not of their true connection.<p>

He greeted the few teachers who also arrived early, all of them knew him by now and were incredibly friendly. He usually would stop to have a small chat with the ones he passed but that day he was in a rush.

His chains were broken from Catherine and he couldn't wait to see her, to talk to her knowing he was just that much closer to being fully reunited with the one he loved.

He found their shared classroom with ease and was halted in the doorway. She stood by the open window, her arms falling relaxed and loose at her sides, a small, peaceful smile on her face, the morning sun casting a perfect glow on her pale cheeks. She was truly the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on and at that moment, even though they were still separated by the curse, he felt like the luckiest man in the universe.

He dared not to call out to her and disturb her and even if he wanted to, his throat was tight and he knew no words could be spoken.

After what happened with Emma the night before and especially after what happened with Catherine, he spent the night reflecting on his love for his true wife. He never dreamed he'd find such a love, not after his father arranged a marriage with Midas' daughter, he thought he was doomed to love his wife only half heartedly. And then he came across Snow White, a woman who robbed him, pelted him with a rock, tried to drown him, mocked his name, and made him fall head over heels for her in just one day.

No truer words had he spoken than to those he said to Catherine. He loved Snow more than anyone could possibly imagine, with his whole heart and his whole soul and he knew one day that love would see them through.

It was Mary who broke the silence, spotting him out of the corner of her eye and turning from her place at the window, a radiant smile forming on her lips. "David! Good morning, I didn't hear you come in!"

He returned her radiant smile and finally stepped into the room. "You seemed so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you."

She hummed softly and looked over her shoulder to the open window. "It's one of my favorite things." She turned her head back to him and at his puzzled expression, chuckled. "Nature." She elaborated. "The warmth of the sun, the scent of the wind in the trees, the sound of the birds...its all so beautiful."

"Yes." A charming smile tugged at his lips as he gazed intently into her eyes. "It is."

Her eyes remained locked on his for a long moment of silence and then she bit her lip, hiding a smile as a soft pink coated her cheeks. "I'm glad you're here, David." She said suddenly, breaking their eye contact by heading over to the back of the room. "I thought perhaps we could work on your castle." She pulled open one of the wooden cabinets where the bottom shelf had been cleared to store a half built cardboard castle.

He made his way to the back of the classroom, the smile never leaving his lips. "I think that is a wonderful idea."

She beamed at him and then knelt down to carefully remove the cardboard castle and move it to a near-by desk. Her eyes remained on the cardboard for a lingering moment and he could have sworn he saw a flicker of longing in her eyes before it was gone and she turned to him with a smile.

"I think we might be able to start painting it today." She told him. "The towers are pretty much complete and the drawbridge can't be done until its painted anyway."

"Sounds good." He replied, answering her with a smile of his own.

"Great!" She clapped her hands excitedly and he held back a chuckle. She pulled out the supplies needed to work on the castle and pulled over a chair to sit near the desk.

He pulled another chair on the opposite side of the table and grabbed a pair of scissors, sharing a smile with her before starting to cut out the designs Mary had drawn onto the cardboard to form the towers.

They sat in silence for a minute or so, the only sound being the scissors ripping through the cardboard and the sweet sound of the birds chirping from out the window. He watched her as subtly as possible, making sure to concentrate on the castle every so often but she always managed to distract him.

He wasn't sure how appropriate it was to bring up the topic of his split with Catherine but he needed her to know and so to break the silence he blurted out, "Catherine and I decided to part ways."

The scissors she was holding slipped out of her hand and landed on the desk with a loud clatter. Her head flew up to meet his gaze, her eyes wide and her lips parted slightly. "What?"

He sighed, realizing that that was probably not the best approach but it was too late to turn back so he continued to elaborate. "Yeah, I, ah- well, we decided actually, that it wasn't really working for us anymore. I don't love her like a man should love a wife and I know she's not happy because of it. We had a talk last night and we came to the decision that it was the best thing if we ended our marriage."

There was that flicker of longing in her eyes again, except this time it was accompanied by relief and... something more. Then it was gone again and her face scrunched up in sympathy as she reached across the empty space beside the castle and placed her hand over his. "David, I'm so sorry."

He shook his head with a small smile, staring directly into her eyes, hoping to make her see what he felt. "Don't be, it was the right thing for both of us. It just wasn't true love."

Her lips twitched in a wistful smile. "True love? I think you've been talking to Henry too much."

He cocked his head to the side, his smile faltering. "You don't believe in true love?"

She opened her mouth and then let out a small breath of laughter. "Well, I don't know, I suppose...it just seems very hard to find."

"It can be." He replied and then grabbed a hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze and flashing her a charming smile. "But once its found...it can never be lost. If you love someone and they love you, they will always find you."

Her eyes widened and he felt her tense under his hand. His brow furrowed as he searched her widened eyes and she swallowed thickly before removing her hand from his and grabbing the scissors off the table and returning to the castle.

"So where are you staying now?"

His eyes narrowed, continuing to eye her, wondering why she reacted in such a way. A flicker of hope stirred in his chest as he wondered if that was the beginning of her starting to recall her real memories.

_Wherever you go, no matter what you do, I will find you. _

_You never have to worry I will always find you._

Those were words he once said to her and he had, he had found her and perhaps the curse was finally starting to break.

"Oh," He started once her realized that he hadn't answered her question, "At Granny's."

They continued that conversation until all the towers were completely cut out and after taking a quick glance at the clock, Mary decided that they had enough time to at least start the painting.

She gathered up all of the paint supplies and laid them out on a separate desk. They decided on a color, a sort of off-white, one that reminded him too much of their home.

He rolled up his sleeves to keep them clean of all paint mess and reached for one of the paint brushes. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Mary watching him and he smiled to himself.

"What's that around your wrist?" Mary's sudden question surprised him and he glanced down at his wrist where her gift lay. His heart leapt at the sight of it, he almost forgot he was wearing it, it was practically a part of him.

"It was a gift." He answered warmly.

"From Catherine?" He noticed the way her voice shot up, it was a voice Snow used a lot when she was trying to hide her true feelings from him.

"No." He murmured, a loving smile crossing his lips, his thumb caressing it ever so gently. "Someone so much more important. Someone I miss very dearly." He continued to stare at the brown material around his wrist, his only real connection to the woman he loved and sighed quietly.

He didn't realize the long pause of silence, he didn't realize she had stopped talking and as he looked up to return to painting the castle he found her staring at him, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

He instantly sat up straight, his heart leaping in alarm. "Mary, what is it?"

She said not a word, her lips firmly pressed together as her eyes desperately searched his face. Then finally, she let out a shaky breath and the smile that crossed her lips was unlike anything he'd seen. She was out of her seat in a second and then so was he, his instinct to protect her rearing its head.

She fiddled with the ring around her finger and he slowly walked over to her, eyeing her suspiciously. The ring slid off her finger and she turned her eyes up to him, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she slowly lifted her hand, holding out the ring in front of him.

"I kept it safe for you, James."

His eyes focused on the ring, the ring that brought them together for the first time, and the ring that brought them together for eternity. Then her words registered and he snapped his eyes up to lock onto hers.

She was giving him that smile, that same smile that was on her face when he rescued her from death, the same smile that was on her face as they stood at the alter, the same smile that was on her face as she told him about Emma, it was the smile of true love.

His heart started pounding against his chest and he dared to hope. "Snow?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Her eyes glistened as tears continued to pool there and her smile grew, "Hello Charming."

_Charming._

And suddenly she was in his arms, letting out a squeal of delight, her arms winding around his neck. His arms tightened around her small waist, pushing her flat against his chest, never feeling that she was close enough. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, letting its familiarity wash over him like a flood.

He felt her arms tighten around his neck and her fingers grip onto the back of his head, her hair tickling his ear and her warm tears against the skin of his neck.

He only allowed himself to pull back just enough to take in the sight of her. At his movement she also lifted her head, loosening her grip around his neck just a little bit and their eyes met.

"It's really you." He whispered, keeping their eyes locked and her smile met her eyes and she suddenly released his neck, grabbed a hold of his face between her hands and brought their lips together in a powerful kiss.

His hands slid, one to her upper back and one to her lower to bring her closer and he returned her kiss with fervor. Her hands slid up into his hair and she opened her mouth against his, bringing them that much deeper.

It was a kiss that only ended when air became a necessity and still, as they parted, panting, their lips hovered close together, their breath intermingling between them, their foreheads pressed together in an intimate touch.

It could have been hours and they would not have known, the world could have fallen to dust and they would not have known, all they saw, all they felt, all they knew in that moment was each other and the relief they had at being in the other's arms and the overwhelming love that defined their very beings.

"I thought this day would never come." She whispered against his lips.

"I said I'd always find you." He answered just as breathless. Her response was another kiss on his lips, her nails scraping lightly yet desperately against the back of his head.

"What's twenty eight years when you have eternal love?" He echoed his words from so long ago and she whimpered quietly. Their lips met once more in a shorter but just as loving kiss and then she settled against his chest, tucking her head underneath his chin.

"I'm here now, love." He whispered against her hair, stroking her back ever so gently with his fingertips. "We made it."

She nuzzled her nose against his chest. "I've missed you so much, James."

He buried his face into her hair and pulled her tighter against him. Words could not express the joy he felt at being able to hold her in his arms again, to know that they were together at last.

When he lay dying, knowing that Emma was safe, that's what he held onto. When he awoke, not knowing who he was or where he was, he saw her face and that's what he held onto. When he remembered, and it seemed all hope was lost, there was Henry and there was Emma, and thats what he held onto.

The queen might have had the power to curse their entire land but she forgot just one thing.

Love.

What he and Snow shared could only be considered the truest of true loves. It could stand the test against time, against hate and against revenge. He knew that what lie ahead would be anything but smooth but he had love on his side and come what may, as long as Snow was loving him, they could conquer anything.

* * *

><p><strong>Continued in truth part 3: Snow's explanation of her memory and James' meeting with the sheriff.<strong>


End file.
